The Broken Soldier
by M10m gas mask soldier
Summary: He hated her for what she did. So why did he decide to fight for her and their child? Why and how did he bring the once invincible company to its knees? As Alma's influence takes its toll, how much of the man he once was will he lose? My first posted story so do not expect a masterpiece. AU. Rated M for a reason. Official lemon alert for Ch.8,13, & 16 part 2.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Forgiveness.

Origin: F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin

POV: Michael Becket

Type: AU

Genre: Horror/Romance

AN: This is my first fan fiction so I apologize if it is subpar. I write for fun so I am not as serious as I should be. I have read a few of the F.E.A.R. stories and the ones I have read have impressed me. Anyway, like I said, I apologize if this is terrible. I just wanted to post something so I can become better at writing. If anyone is interested, I am planning to do another story that is far less canon than this one. I love F.E.A.R. except for F.E.A.R. 3.

If you read this and liked it, let me know. Pointers and advice are definitely welcomed. Oh, and whatever you are called on this site, flamers? If you are so desperate to spread your anger, I truly do pity you. I will ignore you and I hope you find peace someday.

Disclaimer: F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin and all related characters and elements are trademarks of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. I claim no ownership of anything nor do I plan to profit from posting this. I hope this is enough to avoid legal action against me.

In basic training, I had been disciplined into a nearly autonomous weapon that could endlessly lay waste to the targets that my handler deemed a threat. Now, as I reflected, I wondered if I had simply traded one master for another. As I sat against the now familiar weathered tree in the world that had been born from my coveter's childhood memories, I simply observed the two children happily frolicking in the meadow with eyes that had long since transformed to mimic the golden orbs of her eyes. The true child, our child, laughed with her innocent voice as she pursued her mother in a game of tag. My daughter definitely took after her mother with her pale skin, shiny raven hair that was cut the same way as her mother, thin frame, beautiful heart shaped face with a small nose, and, of course, her immensely powerful psychic abilities. The only trait that she seemed to have inherited from me was her eye color. The only way to tell the two apart when Alma was in her child form was the color of their dresses and the subtle differences in their facial structures. While my paramour's tiny frame was shrouded in her infamous red dress, my daughter wore a simple short-sleeve white dress that reached her knees.

Meanwhile, her mother, whose features had been etched into my memory for all of her different forms, was actually laughing audibly and clearly for her daughter to hear. Her siren voice, with its hauntingly attractive tones, filled my mind nearly without reprieve. I always knew that there would be no sanctuary from her and as twisted as my mind had become, I found myself craving her attention. Just as she had become blindingly obsessed with me, I had followed suit. Even I did not understand my uncontrollable attraction to her. She was a twisted, vengeful woman who was a powerhouse of pent up rage and psychic ability. To those who dared to resist her, she was death incarnate. To me, she was something much softer. Did I love her? With every fiber of my being, I wanted to believe that I did in fact love her. However, even as smitten as I was, the last surviving bastion of my sanity steadfastly refused to approve of that idea. I had not forgotten what she had done to countless people including my squad and myself. I still had vivid nightmares of those hellish hours of absolute insanity and carnage. Most of all, my sanity pointed to what had occurred while I was strapped in the amplifier at Still Island.

After that incident, if I had known then how certain events would unfold to eventually lead me to want to desperately believe that I loved both the being responsible for my suffering and the being that was a result of our involuntary union, I would have lost my sanity trying to grasp that idea. I was so completely consumed by my own anger at the woman, who had not only destroyed my entire life in mere hours but also threatened to consume my very being, that the idea of loving her was so far beyond being comically absurd that to even fathom it was impossible. In my rage-fueled attempt at revenge, I fought against her in an ultimately futile effort to deny her any form of happiness at my expense. However, as time went on, I found my will to resist her near constant and still potentially lethal attempts to physically interact with me diminish as my mental defenses rotted from the inside as my malnourished body began to cannibalize itself in an effort at self-preservation. With her stunted understanding of the world, Alma did not realize she was starving me to death as she kept me locked in that mental prison. She thought my attempts to fight her off were cute and that we were simply playing a harmless game. Even as my weakened body started to shut down, she could not understand that even as much as she cared about me that she was killing me. Not knowing the problem, namely her, she kept wanting to play games and refused to let me leave her mind. It took my overwhelmed body finally submitting to the forces of time for her to realize what she was doing to me. As I felt my mind slip into the abyss and nearly into oblivion, she brought me back to life just as she had done on the operating table.

After everything I had seen her do, it was a strange sight to behold as she stood trembling in fear as I regained consciousness in the amplifier. She was in her child form and that combined with the relief from the gnawing hunger I had been suffering from caused me to pause. I was no longer strapped to the chair so I stood and made my over to where she was cowering against the wall. I smirked as I towered over her tiny frame. I wanted to unleash all of my fury onto her. The primal urge to cause her suffering demanded me to satisfy its hunger. How dare she show weakness after torturing me to death? However, as I raised my right fist to deliver the first blow, she suddenly shrieked out, "Daddy no!" I froze at the sound of her voice. I had heard her mumblings and the occasional understandable statement but this was the first time I had heard real fear in her otherwise noteworthy voice. I racked my memory for the name of the only person she had feared while she was alive. Harlan Wade, her father and also her torturer. The man who saw fit to abuse his own daughter just to make progress in his own sick science experiment. Even as my anger demanded satisfaction, I paused as I observed the fragile child bawling as she was curled up into a ball with her hands raised up to protect her face.

My anger melted as I recalled my own childhood. I often found myself in the exact same posture as she currently was in. I did poorly in school because I was too absorbed with trying to keep my father from beating me senseless to be bothered with such matters as homework or studying. My teachers just assumed my bruises were from games and that my poor attendance and grades were just the result of a student who did not take academics seriously. The military was a way to get away from the family I no longer wanted to have anything to do with. As disgusted as I was with my weakness, I felt sympathy for this disturbed soul. Softening my approach, I bent down before her and extended my right hand. She cried out and flinched as my hand made contact with her tiny right shoulder. For a few tense seconds, I could feel the energy flowing from her body as she gathered her power to defend herself should I try to harm her. It surrounded both of us like a cloud of electricity and I could have sworn I literally saw the miasma that was threatening to snuff my life out should I misbehave.

Slowly, I began to rub her shoulder as gently as I could. Despite myself, I was awed by how soft she felt. I was nearly consumed by the desire to feel her cool skin against my hotter skin. I shook my head to clear my mind of such ridiculous thoughts. I may pity this woman, but I was not about to fall for her mind games. I had seen her play such games with my squad members. How she had drawn them in like a moth to a flame. I was not about to give her the same satisfaction. I knew she could sense my thoughts, but it still startled me when I heard her voice echo through my mind. "No trick. Love you." I shook my head and said in a calm tone, "No you don't. You are just confused." I felt the miasma surrounding me thicken. Alma transported herself to be standing on her feet just inches away from me. Because I was still kneeling, her nose was almost touching mine. I shivered as I felt her frigid breath on my face. I had never been this close to her. At least, I had never been this close for a long enough period of time for me to take note of her various features.

For the first time, I noticed the beautiful glow emitting from her golden eyes. Her face was extremely captivating with her eyes and hair that hid most of her in a shroud. It made her more enticing. If I were a man of less moral fiber, I would definitely think of her as being attractive. She smiled at me as she sensed my thoughts and she relaxed. The air surrounding her was far less murky and laced with hatred. I finally was able to relax as my demise was now less imminent. Still not moving, she simply stared at me as if looking for something. Before I could say anything, I heard her voice in my mind. "Why hate?" I was stunned by her question. I knew she was stunted, but the extent of which she was only just then became apparent. In a confused tone, I asked, "Are you seriously asking? You don't know why I hate you?" She shook her head and said with her mind, "Tell me why." Repressing my anger, I said, "You raped me after killing most of my team. You made me kill one of my squad mates. I cannot believe I let you get to me during the whole thing. I actually hesitated when Stokes ordered that we were going to kill you. I have never hesitated over an order. I actually considered putting you above my squad. I almost felt like I…" I stopped when I nearly blurted out the way I had felt about her just prior to the incident in the amplifier.

"Will you ever forgive me for those things?" My coveter's voice riled me out of my memories and I found her sitting in my lap and leaning up against my chest. I raised my arms up and wrapped them around her thin midsection. I sighed as I pulled her closer and replied with my mind, "You know I cannot forgive you those things. Some things are too terrible to be forgiven." She nodded as she replied, "I understand." We watched our daughter continue to run around the endless meadow. Without looking away from her child, Alma asked, "She is happy right? We are safe and Armacham is gone?" I recalled how only hours earlier, I had finally hunted down the last remnant of the corporation and killed every survivor with the assistance of the small army of Replica soldiers. I had killed a large number of the Replica but with Alma's assistance, I had located pockets of surviving units. Uniting them, I, and eventually Point Man, had led them against the corporation and anyone who dared to attempt to locate Alma and my child. I turned Alma around so she was facing me and kissed her softly before assuring her, "Yes. She is happy and they are all gone. I am sorry about Paxton. He tried to possess me. I did what I had to." She frowned briefly before her expression returned to her normal emotionless façade. She remarked with noticeable sadness, "I know. My father corrupted him. I had hoped he would be strong enough to escape the clutches of greed but it consumed him before my eyes. I do not blame you for overpowering him. At least my first born was untouched enough by that company to choose his family over his programing."

"Speak of the devil." I remarked as the large man approached us. Despite the mask he still wore, I could read the concern in his posture. Alma, who was still struggling to communicate with her son, asked me, "What is going on?" Looking away from Point Man, I said to her, "He is still a little on edge." I looked back at him and stated reassuringly, "Point Man, stand down. We have effectively destroyed their ability to mount an assault. All that is left are stragglers and I doubt they are planning anything in the near future." When the veteran remained unmoved, I sighed and asked Alma, "Alma, do you mind?" She smiled sadly as she nodded. Before I could blink, she returned us to the real world.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Wow. I was surprised how many people took an interest in my story so soon. A special thanks to the two that reviewed and those who favored my story and I want to thank you for being supportive. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my story so far. I apologize for the mistakes in Ch.1. I do not know how I overlooked Harlem when I know it is Harlan. The other minor mistakes, oh and the Replica thing. To be honest, I never considered them that interesting besides how awesome some of their armor looks in the first and second game. So, I just assumed that they were all from the same "batch" so to speak. For the story, I am referring to the Variant VII Replicas. A quick note for the rest of the story: I created Alpha 1 just to have some fun and I promise he will be nothing more than a constant supporting character. Consider him a wingman for Becket. If you cannot remember, the unit I am referring to, they are the ones in F.E.A.R. 2 with the badass looking armor and have the automatic shotguns. I know those particular units have a deep voice when they are killed but I wanted character dialogue so just consider him a "malfunctioning" unit okay. I will reedit Ch.1 to correct the mistakes as soon as I get the story fully developed so I do not make the mistake of boxing myself into a corner. Has anyone made that mistake? Ugh, it is nearly a death sentence for a story. Anyway, I hope the readers like the story so far. Review if you want.

"Aristide? What are you doing? We have to stop Alma." I looked from the squad's communication liaison to the president of Armacham. I nearly cried out in concern when I saw the handgun in her grasp. The way she held it was what worried me. She was too casual with it, like someone who was so absorbed in their own false reality that they were bound to do anything to stay in their denial. Stokes, finally noticing the weapon, backed away from the older woman. Strapped to the chair, I could only observe the scene helplessly as the cold and calculating executive tried to explain her scheme. She said in a somewhat desperate tone, "That is exactly what I plan to do." Stokes retorted back, "Becket is not strong enough without the amplifier. She will absorb him." Personally, I believed that no matter how amplified any individual's psychic abilities became, that he or she could stand up to Alma in a psychic battle. She was just too powerful and the disturbing fact was that she was getting stronger by the minute. The crazed woman replied in an emotionless tone, "And then we will lock them away."

Nausea hit me as my head began throbbing. I panicked, but not because of the argument raging mere inches from me. I could feel her approaching and because of Aristide, I was now defenseless. I tried to warn them, but as I went to speak, I was suddenly sprayed with Stokes's blood. I gaged as traces of her blood invaded my mouth. The taste of iron nearly caused me to dry heave but I forced myself to swallow the invading liquid. I saw the young blonde soldier collapse onto the hard metal floor. I mentally swore as another member of my squad fell. I had seen horrific sights in my previous assignments. I knew how vulnerable and fragile the human body was. However, what I had seen on this mission was infinitely beyond what I had suffered through in the past. This was not combat. This was slaughter. Aristide was addressing me, but her words failed to register with my auditory senses. Nothing she could do to me was even remotely close to what the mother of the apocalypse was capable of doing to me. As if on cue, I noticed Aristide glance off somewhere behind me. Before I could blink, the being that had been hunting me since my arrival in the city was before me. The throbbing in my head intensified to the point that I had to concentrate just to prevent blacking out. I was mildly disappointed when my stalker did not mutilate the woman who was ultimately responsible for my living nightmare and the demise of my squad members.

Fatigue hit me as the realization that every drop of blood and sweat that Dark Signal had shed, after being thrust into a situation that its unprepared members had no business being involved in, had been in vain. All our sacrifice and this was how the story ended? She finally had me on a proverbial silver platter. I was a soldier who was about to fall in battle without even firing back at my attacker. I felt no fear as I scowled defiantly at the demon as she stalked towards me. She seemed to be having difficulty containing her excitement as her physical appearance sporadically shifted from the disgusting malnourished hag to the extremely attractive seductress. I waited for her to do what she had before my eyes to Griffin and Fox. Instead, she moved closer to me. In my peripheral vision, I saw Aristide manipulating the control panel. The sphere prison sealed as my tormentor leaned in as if to embrace me. I started to struggle against the straps as I realized with indescribable dread that she was indeed about to force herself onto my defenseless body. "No!" I yelled as she descended upon me.

"Michael? Michael! Wake up!" Alma's haunting melody pulled me from my torment. The obsessed demon of my nightmare was replaced by the worried woman who was snuggling against my now sweat soaked Dark Signal attire. I shook my head to clear my still frantic and racing thoughts so I could think clearly. I was breathing heavily as I turned sideways so I could sit up with my legs over the side of the bed. While I tried to get my reeling body back under control, Alma simply laid her head against my right shoulder. After my breathing noticeably relaxed, I heard her humming the simple melody that the music box she so adored played. There was something abnormally relaxing about her voice whenever she hummed a melody. Finally, with a deep breath, I managed to smile weakly at my constant companion. With concern still in her voice, she asked with her mind, "Nightmares?" My smile increased briefly as I replied, "You know the answer already. I did not wake you did I?" Her concerned expression morphed into a wispy smile as she replied, "I do not sleep remember?" A knock on the door interrupted our lighthearted conversation. I called out, "Enter."

An unarmed Replica Heavy Trooper (Variant VII) opened the door and a small mass ran around him. Our daughter jumped into Alma's torso and both were sent back against the mattress. I heard giggling behind me as I telepathically questioned the white ceramic helmeted trooper about the situation. In the standard robotic tone, the trooper audibly responded, "Sir, the VIP requested an escort to a safer location." The drawback to the Replica's generic nature was their inability to report specific details. Even this particular unit, with the identifying telltale shrapnel damage to his helmet, that had been through multiple battles alongside of me, was still bound by his programming to never be anything other than just another Replica. However, he had traces of free will unlike his brethren. Most notable of all was his personality. Of all the troopers, I trusted him the most. I would even bet my life on his loyalty and fighting prowess. As such, I had appointed him a constant bodyguard of my daughter now that combat missions against various Armacham installations and personnel were over. I nodded at the trooper as I said, "Understood Alpha 1. Standby for further orders." The puppet soldier replied in his distorted voice, "Order confirmed. Awaiting further orders." Alpha 1 remained where he was and if it were not for his occasional head turns as he glanced around the room, I would have been worried that he had deactivated like I the older variants I had located in my search for surviving units.

I looked back behind me to find Alma in her child form consoling her frightened daughter. With a gentle voice, I inquired, "What is the matter? Did something scare you?" My daughter lifted her head from where she had buried it into her mother's chest and looked at me with her piercing grey eyes. In my mind, I saw flashes of her memories. My heart sank as I realized what had frightened her. Like her oldest brother, her mind was immune to Alma, but she was able to look into her mother's mind. I knew firsthand how dangerous that was. There were some places in her warped mind that were too dangerous for even Alma to venture. Alma read my thoughts and hugged our daughter closer to her. I placed my gloved left hand on her back and started to rub her trembling form. The whole scene reminded me of when Alma first started to win my allegiance as she helped me escape from the amplifier. I let my mind drift back into my memories.

"Why everyone hate?" The red dress clad child demanded with a sorrow-filled tone. I watched transfixed as she transformed from the unstoppable killer to a fragile child. She collapsed back onto the amplifier wall and buried her face in her hands. Between sobs she said, "Daddy hate. Mean people hate. Sons hate. You hate." She looked back up at me and asked, "Why?" I stood from my kneeling position. I still wanted to make her suffer, but I also needed to escape from this device. Since I was one of their experiments, I knew that Armacham was unlikely to let me out anytime soon. My superiors had most likely labeled me as missing in action so I could not count on any assistance from the U.S. Military. Assuming that Morales was still alive, I could have contacted him and advised him of the situation. However, either this device or Alma was interfering with my com link. As bitter as I was about Alma's actions, I realized that it was not her I hated. What I really hated was Armacham. That company was ultimately responsible for everything that had happened. Alma, Paxton Fettel, the Replicas, Project Origin, the explosion, my squad's demise, the deaths of my fellow Delta Force operatives in the Armacham Headquarters, and the deaths of the innocent residents of the Auburn district; it was all their responsibility. My ego was not getting me anywhere. I needed help and she was the only one willing or able to help me.

Besides, as much as I wanted to deny it, I was becoming more and more attached to her. Perhaps I had been so blinded by my own fear that I failed to see the overall chain of events. Armacham, or in this case Aristide, had done everything possible to make me as irresistible to Alma as they could. The poor girl had probably been driven absolutely out of her mind as I continuously fought her off. Especially considering that she seemed confused about her own attraction to me. After all, when I first encountered her in the penthouse, she was definitely surprised that I was even aware of her presence. She has the emotional range of a child so obsession was the only way she knew to react to what she was feeling. As for the thing growing inside of her, I would worry about that when it became an issue. My first priority was to get out of this facility.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." I said calmly. Confused, Alma asked, "What?" I turned to her and explained, "We have a common enemy. Armacham must pay for what they have done. Get me out of here, and I promise I will do whatever you want me to." In an instant, she was standing before me. Her eyes were ablaze with sinister joy and she beamed up at me with an ominous smile. Her legs were covered with blood up to her knees. I could feel the miasma surround us once more, but this time, I did not feel threatened. She asked in a flat voice, "You promise?" I knew I was at the point of the no return. I could either accept my place at her side or remain trapped here until Armacham came for me. I sighed as I replied, "Alma, get me out of here and I will burn the world if you want me to." Giggling, she disappeared in a cloud of ash. Before I could look around for her, I collapsed onto my hands and knees in agony as severe pain erupted inside my head. I grasped opposite sides of my head as I screamed. My vision went out of focus as it also became tinged with the same orange color as it had when I was on the cargo tram. A red aura enveloped my body and I felt the urge to vomit. "Alma." I managed to choke out. I heard her whisper in my mind, "Almost done. Don't fight." The pain doubled in intensity and despite my attempts to stop it, I blacked out.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying prostrate on the metal floor. My body ached but I also felt a strange yet welcomed feeling of strength. My eyesight had returned to normal. I groaned as I started to haul myself to my feet. I started to stand but my right knee buckled. Before I could fall, two small arms caught me from behind. Using her for support, I finally managed to stand despite the protests by my joints. After waiting for my legs to settle, I wheeled around to face her. She had an innocent smile and she was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. With a raspy voice, I asked, "What did you do to me?" She casually glanced over to the chair and then back at me. I understood her gesture but I asked just to make sure, "You amplified my psychic output?" She nodded in response. I smirked as I said, "Let's do this." Giggling, she disappeared. I returned to the chair and examined the floor just to the right of it. Luckily, my assault rifle was still where I had left it. I bent down and retrieved my firearm. Examining it, I was relieved when it was still functional. Unfortunately, when I released the clip, I saw that it was empty. In an annoyed tone, I muttered, "Of course it is empty." I reached to my ammunition pouch. As if to further irritate me, I found that all of the ammunition I had scavenged was gone. Nodding my head, I remarked, "And fuck no I do not have any spare clips. That would just be too easy wouldn't it?"

Before I could rant about how asinine my situation was, I heard the sound that I had been waiting for more than any other sound in my life. The sphere prison I had been contained in finally unsealed. Nearly jumping out of the tiny space, I exited the amplifier all while secretly wanting to unload an entire magazine into the chair and then toss in a frag grenade just for good measure. I spotted Alma over by the console and made my way to her. I paused at the side of Stokes and knelt down. Softly, I said, "I'm sorry." Standing, I walked across the bridge to the other side of the room. As I reached Alma, she asked me, "So what first?" I replied, "Regroup." I spoke into my com link, "Morales do you copy? Over." I saw his image in my HUD as he replied, "Who the fuck is this?" I responded, "Santa Claus. Who the Hell do you think it is? It's Becket." There was a pause before Morales replied, "Bullshit. Becket is dead." Sighing, I said, "Redd called me Bucket." I heard him laugh and when he responded, I heard the familiar comradery in his voice. "Damn Becket! I knew you were a bad motherfucker, but I had my doubts that you would come out alive. Where is Stokes? Did you beat Alma?" I started walking out of the room as I explained, "Stokes is dead. Listen, I say we call an abort on the mission. We need to regroup. Are you still in the city?"

Alma walked beside me as I made my way through the airlocks and walkways. She would occasionally run out ahead of me and skip along. Morales said, "Stokes is dead? Fuck this shit man; I am with you on the abort. ATC attacked in force when they got wind of what we were up to so I had to retreat. The APC is still operational but this city has turned into a free-for-all. ATC is slaughtering civilians and engaging Replicas all over the place. Then, of course, there are those…people, or at least I think they are people. I have not encountered very many yet but the last group tried to suicide bomb the APC. Not to mention the fact that the entire city has been quarantined. Becket, please tell me you have a plan to get out of here." Looking at Alma, who had stopped to gaze at me when she heard the last sentence Morales had said, I smiled at her as I replied, "We are not leaving yet." Confused, he replied, "We're not? Why? Did you find something worth saving? Becket, what about Alma?" Alma's carefree demeanor suddenly became one of intensity as the sound of multiple boots impacting the metal floor alerted both of us to approaching ATC soldiers. I said to Morales, "I will explain later. Quick, where are you?" He replied, "Underground garage at the intersection of 7th and Maple." Alma ran over to me as the soldiers' voices drew closer. I said to him, "Got it." Looking at my new ally, I requested, "Alma, intersection of 7th and Maple. Can you get us there?" She nodded and grasped my right leg. ATC soldiers arrived at our location just in time to see us disappear.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch.3

To say that the trip to the intersection was uncomfortable would be the biggest understatement I could have possibly used to describe it. To me, it felt like every atom in my body was twisted through the fabric of time and space before being reassembled to form my body. As we rematerialized, I collapsed onto my knees and vomited. In an instant, Alma was at my side with her arms around my neck. She hummed with a vibrating and soft voice. Her efforts prevailed as I managed to fight off the urge to vomit again. I crocked out, "I'm okay. I'm good." Her head was so close to my face that I could feel her frigid breath rhythmically wafting against my right cheek. That, combined with the sensation of her cold bare skin against my neck was unbelievably intoxicating. I had to slowly push her away to keep my baser instincts in check. I scolded my body for even reacting in such a manner. I was a Delta Force operative, a beacon of morality and self-sacrifice, not some horny teenager. Still, her touch seemed to reignite feelings that I had long since suppressed to near extinction. When I joined the military, I decided that since affection was what my father showed me then I wanted nothing to do with it.

I shook my head again as I stood. Now was not the time or place to have an identity crisis. The intersection had been ravaged by the fallout from the Origin Facility explosion like the other sections of the city that I had battled through. The familiar building debris blanketed the once bustling streets and even this far from ground zero, the silent memorials of the innocent residents caught in the shockwave dotted the sidewalks frozen in the posture the individual was in when they died. I saw a transparent figure observe me from down the street before it vanished in a puff of energy. Alma asked me quietly, "Do you see?" I nodded as I replied, "Yes. I have been seeing them all over the city. What are they?" I turned to her as I issued my question. She seemed to ponder the question for a moment before she said with her mind, "Residual psychic signatures. Ghost imprints of energy. They hate me. I cause them pain when I am near." I had suspected that she had something to do with their appearance. Her torture-stemmed rage corrupted anything that was exposed to it.

I heard an approaching helicopter, and quickly led my companion to the entrance of the garage. Since I knew Morales, I knew better than to simply knock on the sliding metal door. I said into my com link, "Morales, I am at the main entrance. Open the door. Hurray, a helicopter is coming." I did not receive an answer but the door slowly opened just enough allow us access. I motioned for Alma to go first so he would not close the door in her face. I followed closely behind her and the door closed mere seconds after I squeezed through the access point. The smell of grease and other mechanical lubricants was thick in the air, which caused me to surmise that the place had been a service garage before the blast. I saw the APC in the center of the small space with the front of it facing the door. A workstation with various tools sat to the right of it.

Morales noticed Alma first but I surprised to see him smile at her. He even bent down and ruffled her raven hair as he questioned in a playful tone, "And who are you?" I had been so accustomed to her constant presence that it took me a minute to remember that Manny had probably never even seen Alma before now. I asked him, "Wait, you can see her?" He looked away from a laughing Alma, who was straightening her hair where he had ruffled it, to look at me. His smile faded and he said with confusion, "Becket, your eyes are different man. Are you all right? What happened to you?" I questioned him, "My eyes? What about them?" He seemed to be having difficulty thinking of a way to explain and simply replied, "They're…well, like her eyes." I shot Alma a quick glance and she simply smiled innocently. I said, "I'm fine. Just a little worse for wear. That's all." He smiled and turned back to Alma as he asked, "So, who is your friend and why should I not be able to see her?" After thinking through my options, I decided that the direct approach was the only way to handle the question. With a flat, calm voice, I replied, "Alma Wade."

His reaction was what I had expected. In an instant, the whole atmosphere changed from lighthearted to tense. Before things could get out of hand, I placed myself in front of her. I raised my left hand up and flattened it so my palm was facing him as I said, "I can explain." He interrupted me as he said in shock, "Becket, are you out of your mind? She is the mother of the apocalypse!" I said calmly, "Easy. Look, we can sort this all out later. Right now, we need to deal with Armacham. Manny, can you get me a secure link to command?" He gave me a worried look. I asked him, "What?" With an expression I had never seen before, he responded, "Command has…" I sighed and cut him off as I angrily muttered, "Left us hanging out to dry." He nodded in response. I had anticipated my superiors leaving me stranded after the explosion but it still felt like a betrayal. I thought quickly and decided what I had to do. I looked at Morales and addressed him with a serious tone, "Manny, I know how you feel about your job but the fact is that we are officially on our own. Whatever we do now, we do it off the record. Someone has to make Armacham pay for their crimes and it sure as shit is not going to be an official operation that does it. No, they have an enormous legal division standing by to protect them from legal action, they have a public relations division already decided how they are going to cover up this mess, and they are a major defense contractor so the U.S. Government is going to look the other way while those bastards get away with everything. I understand if you do not want to join me in this, but I am not going to let them get away with what I have learned about them or what they have done to me. By God if it kills me, I am going to take that company down. Are you with me?" I extended my right hand and waited to see if he would shake it. For a brief second, I worried as Morales acted as if he would back away. However, he stopped and instead he reached forward. With a single nod of his head, he shook my hand.

Alma, realizing that I had successfully secured her safety, put her tiny soft right hand in my gloved left hand. I looked down at her. As I gazed into her hopeful glowing eyes, I finally realized that I was no match for her. She captivated me without even trying. Her touch stimulated untapped desires that I would rather keep suppressed. Even now, I knew that her presence was changing me and even as the majority of me was terrified at what I would become, part of me was thrilled at the prospect. Perhaps, as much as I wanted to deny it, I really was just like her. Maybe at heart, I was still that little boy who was angry at the world for all the pain I had been put through. For making me suffer through all those sleepless nights that I hid in my closet so my father could not find me. Not that any of my efforts were ever enough because he always did find me. Not even a fractured jaw, compound fracture of my right arm, and two cracked ribs were enough to get me out of that house. Only important children were cared about. I scolded myself for allowing such thoughts. I said to the raven-haired girl with my mind, "Stop using my past against me." She frowned in confusion. I snapped at her, "You know exactly what you are doing." A look of understanding entered her expression and she gently squeezed my hand as she explained, "My presence. Don't mean to hurt. Sorry."

Before I could respond, Morales grasped my left shoulder to get my attention. When I looked at him, he asked, "Becket man. Are you okay? You zoned out." I nodded in response. He said, "It is a huge company with more resources and personnel than we could ever possibly hope to match. How do you plan on taking it down?" I smirked before I replied, "Easy, from the top down. We take out the major players, and the company will consume itself with infighting. After that, we eliminate the remaining shards." Morales frowned a bit and questioned, "I don't know man. That is a lot of people to find and we don't know who most of them are nor do we have the people to do it with. Even if we could find the information, it is just the two of us and one APC." Smiling, I added, "Correction, we have her." I pointed to Alma as I finished my humorous statement. When Morales looked at her, she smiled brightly and waved with her free hand. My lighthearted comment managed to release the tension in the air and even caused Morales to laugh softly. After approximately a minute of relief, Morales said in a serious tone, "I have no doubt she is capable of being a great asset but she is still one person…or ghost. Becket, we need a small army for what you are planning." I could not help but having a cocky tone when I replied, "Yes and I know exactly where to get one." Deciphering my statement, my friend said in an exasperated tone, "You cannot be serious. The fucking Replicas? For real?" I replied, "Yes, I am serious. We have seen them in action when they are organized." Morales, after rubbing his eyes, explained, "We do not know how to control them. Not to mention the main issue, which is, we do not have a psychic commander. I mean, that was the whole concept for them in the first place. A group of puppet soldiers who gave a commander first hand eyes on the battlefield. They are glorified intelligence gathers." I pointed at myself as I said, "Got that covered. Trial and error should fix the other issue. Face it Manny, it is the Replicas or we do this alone. No one has seen or heard from the F.E.A.R. team since the explosion and the remaining SFOD-D teams are scattered."

Morales smiled slightly before he commented, "If it had been anyone else who came up with this crazy plan, I would have walked away. All right man, since you are so convinced this will work, I am with you. Who knows, we might not even get sent to Gitmo after we get arrested for terrorism." I pointed at him and remarked sarcastically, "Appreciate the enthusiasm." Then in a serious tone, I said, "Stay here and watch the APC. I am going to go see if I can locate some Replicas. You wouldn't happen to have any spare clips would you?" He shook his head and replied apologetically, "No man sorry. As I said, ATC attacked in force. I held them as long as I could." I waved my hand dismissively and said, "Don't be sorry. It is fine. I am sure the ATC mercs and Replicas will have plenty of ammunition. You would not happen to still have your kit with you would you? I lost mine when I was kidnapped after the explosion." Puzzled he stated, "Yeah, why? Do you need it?" I nodded and he went into the APC for a minute before returning with the bundle. He handed it to me and after taking it, I walked over to the workstation next to the APC. I cleared a space and set the kit down. After rummaging through the items, I located the gas mask. I placed it over my face and adjusted the straps so the black rubber filter mask was properly fitted to my head. Confused, Morales asked me, "Why are you wearing a gas mask?" Pocketing a few spare filters, I turned to face him. With my voice distorted by the respirator, I answered, "I just escaped from ATC. I am going to avoid encountering them as best I can for now but if I do have to engage them, I do not want them to immediately recognize me and call in my location."

I looked back at Alma, who was standing just a few inches away from the front of the APC and was examining the armored vehicle with a look of curiosity, and said to get her attention, "Alma." She quickly turned her head to look at me and smiled back. After returning the smile, I asked, "You ready?" I motioned to the door as I finished my question. She transported to the door in response. I made my way for the door and when I reached it, Morales asked, "How will you communicate without a HUD?" I turned to face him and said, "The old fashion way. Toss me one of those walkie talkies." He picked up the black handheld device and tossed it to me. I caught it and took note of the channel it was on before clipping it to my belt. I informed him, "I am on Channel 3. Do not call me unless ATC is breaking down the door." He picked up the second device and switched it to the right channel before nodding. I turned back around to face the door. Sliding it open just enough for us to exit, I motioned for her to go first. I followed closely behind her and I heard the door close soon after I squeezed through the opening.

Alma looked at me expectantly and I tilted my head sideways in curiosity. She said in my mind, "First lesson. Can you sense any of them?" I felt something, I could not properly interpret the feeling, but I did sense something nearby. I said nervously, "I sense something. I cannot tell where though. I know whatever it is, it is nearby." I looked at her to see how I did. She nodded approvingly and said in an encouraging tone, "Good for a first try. Replicas. That way." She pointed in the direction we had to go. We made our way down the rubble-strewn street.

As we neared the next intersection, I felt a peculiar change in the air. It felt cold, like something very threatening was coming. I stopped in concern. I looked around and realized that Alma had disappeared. Audibly cursing, I found a square corner of an office building to wait and try to ambush whatever it was. As I pressed myself up against the rough wall, I wondered if Alma had been frightened by the approaching threat. The thought terrified me. She was a supernatural being with near invincibility and the power to liquefy the flesh right off an individual with a single thought. What could she possibly fear? If she was afraid, then I was probably not going to fair too well against it. I observed a squad of Replicas retreating, or more like running for their lives, from something that was chasing them. My head started to throb mercilessly and I had to bite my lip to prevent giving away my position by making noise. In my mind, I suddenly heard a panic filled Alma beg me, "No Michael! Run! He is coming! Please run away!" Her warning came too late and I saw what terrified her. A pale, skinny, humanoid creature with a deformed body and a mouth instead of a face was chasing the fleeing soldiers. They made it to the center of the intersection before the monstrosity reached them. The white helmeted Replica Heavy Trooper swiveled around and attempted to engage the pale figure so his brethren could make it to safety. However, as he fired his first round from his automatic shotgun, the thing's left front hand sliced clean through the shotgun and the trooper was thrown backwards onto the ground. The Replica hit the ground hard and even rolled several feet in the direction he was thrown. The monster left the downed trooper and continued chasing the other Replicas. They did not live long enough to know what happened to them. I watched horrified as the thing merciless butchered the defenseless clone soldiers. He sliced two of their heads off, cut another in half clean straight down the center, and cut the last one in half at the waist. The thing uttered a weird noise as he seemed to observe his handy work. The downed Replica had recovered and stood to face the murderer of his squad. He threw a frag grenade at the monster as he uttered with fury, "Die motherfucker!" The thing seemed to face in the trooper's direction at the sound of his yell and simply bated the grenade back at its master. The grenade exploded mere inches from the Replica's face and he was sent back onto his back by the force of the explosive.

Convinced he had killed the trooper, the monster disappeared in a cloud of ash. As it did, I conjured a name in my mind: Harlan Wade. There was no reason or cause that had prompted me to think that name. I knew with certainty however, that the monster I had just seen was indeed some twisted representation of Harlan Wade. Just another one of Alma's apparitions, but she was afraid of it. I had no doubt that it would be a formidable foe to fight, especially considering that it was not under the influence of Alma herself. I noticed that the Replica Heavy Trooper was still moving and was even getting to its feet. The grenade had knocked out the trooper's right glowing eye and left spider web cracks on his helmet. I was shocked that the Replica had survived the encounter and was able to move under his own power. I moved off the wall and called out, "Trooper, are you alright?" His head jerked to face me and for a second, I thought he was going to pull out his pistol to engage me. However, I relaxed when he instead saluted me. After he dropped his hand, he addressed me, "Sir, awaiting your orders." I walked over to him cautiously as I feared a return appearance of the monster. When I neared him, I asked, "Do you have a name trooper?" With an emotionless tone, he replied, "Sir, I do not understand the question." His response made me wonder if ATC had simply programmed the Replicas to respond to basic military statements. Curious, I ordered him, "Sound off." My suspicions seemed to be confirmed as he responded, "Alpha 1 here sir." I knew I could get the commands down quickly now that I knew what the Replicas had been programmed to respond to.

I ordered him, "Alpha 1, sitrep." He replied, "Alpha squad has sustained heavy casualties by an unidentified hostile. Alpha 2-5 have been killed. Primary mission objective to eliminate Foxtrot 813 has not been achieved." Understandably confused, I asked, "Who the fuck is Foxtrot 813?" I heard a soft voice behind me whispered, "Paxton's puppet." I turned and saw Alma in her child form. I was stunned to see that she seemed to have been crying. I asked, "Are you okay? What happened?" She started to say something and instead turned to face away as if she was ashamed. I walked up behind her and gently turned her to face me again. She seemed devastated by what had occurred. The powerful goddess had completely vanished and a scared, vulnerable child was left in its place. I knelt down and pulled her into a light hug. She cried quietly as she snuggled her head against my neck. I was beyond enlightened. I had the wrong idea about my tormentor up until that moment. My experiences with my father had caused me to become assertive but her abuse had done the polar opposite to her.

I whispered to her, "Alma, you do not need to be afraid anymore. Your father is dead. I watched you kill him. He does not have any power over you anymore. It's okay. Calm down." I rocked her while I rubbed her upper back with my right hand and the back of her head with my left hand. After a few minutes, she whispered in a broken, almost sobbing voice, "No. My anger and fear are all that kept me here. Without him, I am nothing." The more I delved into her broken psyche, the more she won my heart. I moved her so I was looked into her eyes when I said, "You are not nothing. Do not think you are. Alma, you literally defied death. You did. Not him. He did not do that. It was you who did. You do not need him and he never deserved you." She shook her head and then barely whispered, "Without him, I do not have a reason to stay here." I shook her firmly and then lectured, "Alma, snap out of it. Yes you do. You have plenty of reasons to stay here. What about your children? What about your new daughter? Doesn't she deserve a good life? Do you really think Armacham is just going to stop ruining people's lives? Don't you want to see them suffer for what they did to you, your children, and all of the other innocent people? Alma, they treated you like a rat; like a monster. What if they take your daughter just like they did to your other children? Of all people, you know most about what they will do to her." I seemed to get through to her as she nodded and her helpless demeanor was replaced with the familiar festering anger and brutality.

I slowly lowered her to the ground. She looked back up at me with an expression I had never seen before. She was smiling but it was not sinister, lustful, or even her usual creepy smile. She was just smiling. I smiled back before turning to face the Replica. Alpha 1 had retrieved one of his fallen brethren's assault rifle and was observing his surroundings as if he was guarding Alma and I. The other assault rifles were still where they had fallen and I scavenged the clips from them. After unloading the clips and then reloading the bullets, I had two full clips to work with. I loaded one clip into my own assault rifle and pocketed the other. I said to Alpha 1, "Disregard primary mission object. New orders: Form on me and provide fire support." He replied, "Orders confirmed. Forming up sir." He moved closer to me but continued his sweep of our surroundings. I turned back to Alma and said, "Let's see if we can find an intact group of them. On the way, explain to me who Foxtrot 813 is."


	4. Chapter 4

Ch.4

AN: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review and/or read my story. To the majority of those of you who have reviewed, I am very flattered by the things you wrote. I even got my first flamer even though I clearly specified that I would ignore you. However, we can all thank that person for bringing something to my attention that I would like to address. I am sorry if I have been misleading but this is not post-F.3.A.R. As much as I hate that game, I have to respect that Becket is dead in the canon timeline. This is post F.E.A.R. 2 because, according to Monolith, he was still alive. I am trying to stay as canon as I can so I am not completely typing out non-canon fantasy for people to read. However, please keep in mind that this takes place in an AU (alternate universe) and in this universe, F.3.A.R. never happened. Think of this as something like Extraction Point. It is fun and worth a few yucks but in the end, no matter how much you might like it, the mean people from the forums make fun of you because it is "non-canon" since it was not made by Monolith. Oh, and I apologize if the bonding parts between Alma and Becket are what people are waiting for. This is not a bonding chapter. Please be patient, I am getting there.

After nearly two days of searching, I had only managed to locate enough Replicas to form a six-man squad including Morales and myself. The majority of the Replicas were engaged in combat with ATC clean up teams so I had to find stragglers or recon units. For the time being, I would leave the rest of the Replicas to keep ATC's attention occupied while I worked from the shadows. I suspected Alma had more influence over the Replicas than she claimed but I had more pressing concerns to worry about. Thanks to the efforts of Foxtrot 813, Fettel was alive again. That meant that I would eventually have to deal with him and possibly his brother. However, for the time being, my target is Aristide. When I get her to talk, I will at least have a starting point for taking down the company. For that, perhaps fortune was on my side for only having a six-man team. A small group of highly trained soldiers is infinitely more efficient than a large force of grunts for hunting a single individual.

"Michael?" I left my thoughts at the sound of Alma's voice. I looked up at her from where I was lying down on my back inside the APC. The row of seats on the left side was as uncomfortable as a sheet of plywood but it was the only place that I could have some privacy. However, my coveter seemed hell bent to remind me that she could get to me anywhere I went. She was in her healthy adult form but I noticed that she had finally grasped the concept of decency because she was wearing an adult sized version of the red dress her child form wore. She seemed agitated by the cloth rubbing against skin, because it was one or two sizes too small and it was very revealing as it accentuated her feminine features. In a tired voice, I commented, "You look nice." She smiled before she replied, "Thank you." She seemed more excited than usual and, curious, I asked, "What are you so happy about?" Her eyes lit up as she eagerly explained, "Morales thinks he knows where to start looking for Aristide."

Immediately alert, I bolted upright and stood. After grabbing my assault rifle and gas mask, I exited the APC. The service garage had been transformed into a passible command post. Ammunition and weapon crates were stacked in the corners and an array of electronic devices had replaced the tools on the workstation. One of the devices was a stolen Armacham laptop that had a file containing the communication frequencies used by the ATC mercenaries. Morales had used that information to listen in on their radio chatter.

As I exited the APC, Morales called out to me from where he sat at the workstation listening to various ATC teams talking, "Becket, ATC is diverting a team to eliminate a target hiding out in an auxiliary facility for Project Paragon." I muttered a curse in absolute disgust and hatred as I heard that name. It was one thing to experiment on adults because that just made the perpetrator a scientist with a questionable agenda. Experimenting on innocent and trusting children was something completely different. Experiments involving children made the perpetrator a sociopath that should be chained up against a wall and gunned down like an animal by a firing squad. Morales continued, "I am guessing it is Aristide because when word got out that you escaped the amplifier, this individual activated the security lockdown at the facility. The lockdown tripped a silent alarm which alerted ATC." After contemplating whether it was worth the risk to investigate, I decided that even if it was not Aristide, the information the person had could benefit our search. Looking at Morales, I stated, "Close enough, it is a good starting point. Where?"

Morales replied, "Unless they are using some weird code, beneath Happy Memories Daycare Center over on South and Racetrack." At the mention of that name, the Replica Sniper designated Ghost 4 looked up from servicing his dismantled rifle and said, "Permission to speak freely, sir." Looking at him, I replied, "Permission granted." He said, "Sir, I was running recon in that area and it is nearly impossible to transverse by foot because of the debris. If someone is in the facility, there must be a secondary access point for ATC personnel." He returned to cleaning his weapon and I turned back to Morales. I asked him, "Got anything on that?" He shook his head but then said, "No, but maybe there is another tram system like the one to Still Island. I know that there is a subway tunnel located nearby. That might be worth a look." I replied, "Right. Subway tunnels. Again."

Looking away, I turned to the band of misfits I had to work with for the time being. First, there was the damaged Heavy Trooper Alpha 1 who was the sole survivor of his squad after an attack by Alma's twisted version of her father. Next, there was the sniper Ghost 4 who was betrayed by and forced to kill his own squad because apparently they were as Alpha 1 commented: "impaired." Then, there was the Elite Gamma 3 that had managed to eliminate four ATC squads after his squad was ambushed and presumed dead by his superiors. Finally, there was the mostly silent walking tank Heavy Armor that I had nicknamed Juggernaut because he had single handedly destroyed an entire ATC clean up team including their APC and Phase Commander. The victory had come at a cost however. His armor was scorched, dented, bullet riddled, and even compromised in some spots. They were perhaps the most haggard soldiers I had ever seen.

After placing the gas mask back over my face, I addressed the group of men, "Alpha 1 and Gamma 3, grab your gear and form up on me." In unison, they replied, "Order confirmed. Forming up sir." They retrieved their weapons of choice and followed me as I walked to the door. When I reached the door, Morales called out, "Becket, there is an entrance to the subway system at the next intersection down the street." Without looking back, I replied, "Thanks." After we exited the garage, I led the way to the next intersection. We moved with our weapons raised and constantly sweeping our surroundings for possible threats. Luck was on our side and we made it to the street level entrance of the subway station. It was a standard staircase entrance so we moved in a line as we descended into the darkness. Night had shrouded the city in its concealing blackness, which turned the subway system into a manmade cavern where an individual could simply vanish and no one would ever know. The flashlight mounted onto the underside of my assault rifle's barrel barely penetrated the darkness and after we had proceeded maybe twenty yards into the station, a thought occurred to me. I nearly face palmed as I realized how foolish I was being by using my flashlight. Anyone that was competent and saw my flashlight approaching them could drop me where I stood before I even knew what was happening.

Through our telepathic link, I ordered the two Replicas, "Turn off your flashlight." After we all turned off our flashlights, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the low light before I proceeded. As we reached the platform, I saw that the station was empty and that the subway car scheduled to travel along this particular set of tracks must have never reached this station. Personal belongings and briefcases were still where their owners had set them down while they waited for a train that would never arrive. I heard a familiar whisper behind me ask, "Why are you sad?" Not bothering to look back at her, I said, "It's nothing. Just strange seeing this place like this. I mean, this used to be a bustling city, but now it is literally a ghost town." She replied in confusion, "I don't understand." I nodded before I said, "Yeah, I did not expect you to."

I lowered myself down to the tracks before walking towards the tunnel. The two Replicas followed close behind me. The subway system was a maze of dead end service tunnels, main lines, collapsed tunnels, and rolling death traps in the form of subway cars that seemed to be on an automated running program. As we barely managed to dodge yet another runaway car, I caught a glimpse of a figure at the controls of the car. In the few seconds I had to observe the man, I noticed that he was similar to the specters that had plagued the hallways of the Elementary School. After the car had passed within inches of where we had taken refuge up against the brick wall, I turned and glared at Alma. Angry, I whispered in a harsh tone, "Damn it Alma that was another one of those specters. Are they the ones operating the cars down here?" She seemed offended and replied defensively, "I do not control them. I am not to blame for what they do." I said, "Yes you are. Control your anger before you get us all killed!" Before she could respond, Alpha 1 interrupted us by stating, "Sir, movement down the tunnel. Possible enemy contact."

Raising my rifle, I crouched down and slowly made my way towards the sound of booted footsteps. As I closed in, I heard a com link activate and a distorted robotic voice stated, "Bravo squad, we are closing in on the security bulkhead. What is your status?" I cursed as I recognized the voice of a phase commander. If ATC had sent a phase commander, the individual was either Aristide or someone who was definitely worth the risk to keep ATC from capturing him or her. I heard a man respond, "We have finished our sweep of the southern tunnel. Nothing to report." The phase commander responded, "Link up with the main force at the next station. Do not make me wait." The same man replied sheepishly, "Yes sir." The phase commanders seemed to want to bully their own troops as much as they wanted to kill in general. I moved closer to the sound of movement and as I neared the unsuspecting ATC mercenaries, I heard Alma say in my mind, "Wait Michael. I will help you see."

My vision remained the same except I could see a red outline around each of the ATC soldiers ahead of me. There were four men lightly armed with submachine guns and they only had lightweight Kevlar armor. Since they were only sweeping the area, all four were on the ground level of the station. They walked in a line facing away from my small group. They were spread apart around six feet between each other. I smirked at their lack of discipline. Since they would not challenge me, I decided to challenge myself. I bet myself that we would kill them before they made a single sound. After silently relocating my rifle onto my back, I climbed onto the platform and then crouched as I stalked the two center men. Through our link, I sent Alpha 1 after the man to my left and Gamma 3 after the one on my right. In unison, we approached our oblivious victims who were carelessly chatting with each other as if they were drinking together at a bar. My mind relaxed as I forgot myself and focused on eliminating the men in front of me. Without consciously thinking about it, I activated my heightened reflexes and pounced on my targets. I grasped the first man firmly around his chin with my right hand while simultaneously placing my left hand in the back of his head. With a single smooth motion, I twisted his head to the right until I heard the wet crunching sound of the vertebrae in his neck snapping under the pressure. After quietly lowering his limp body to the ground, I repeated the process to the second man who had not noticed the sudden silence of his teammate.

I deactivated my reflexes and knew without visually confirming it that the two Replicas had killed their targets as well. I smiled beneath my mask as I mentally praised myself for winning my bet. As I was retrieving my rifle, I heard Alma whisper in a disappointed tone, "That was no fun." I sighed and replied with my mind, "Not every kill has to be dramatic and brutal. Sometimes, it is better to think tactically with your kills. Now, we have the advantage of surprise when we attack the main force at the next station." I moved as fast as I could without giving away my presence towards the next station. If the ATC mercenaries were following protocol, I would not have long before the squads would check in to report their status. After a few minutes, we were nearing the station. I paused and assessed the situation from the shadows. Unlike the parts of the subway that we had been traveling in, this station was well lit by an armored cargo train that was stationary at the unloading platform. The large and shiny phase commander was ordering around a dozen men in the trademark dark armor. They were not expecting any resistance until they penetrated the large metal bulkhead that sealed off a sidetrack or they would have had a tighter defense. Only five men had their weapons raised but they were facing the bulkhead. The rest were unloading explosives from the train and stockpiling them at the center of the platform. I had to hand it Armacham: what their minions lacked in competence, they made up for in equipment.

I knew I could defeat the egotistical tin can of a leader and his cronies, but I only had a few clips of ammunition and I still had no clue what was beyond that bulkhead. With my mind, I requested my bored little companion, "Alma, do your thing. No need to be silent or quick here." Her child form smirked with homicidal excitement as she dissolved in a cloud of ash. Turning back to look at the platform, I leaned against the brick wall of the tunnel to watch the show. The unsuspecting men on the platform continued to unload the explosives blissfully unaware of the approaching goddess of anger and death. The lights flickered and a resident family of rats vacated the station. If one of the men had a feeling that something was coming, it was already too late to help him. With a creepy giggle, she manifested herself in the middle of them. The flickering lights added to the psychological impact of her sudden appearance as it prevented anyone from properly seeing her face except for the evil grin and glowing eyes. Just as quickly as she appeared, she dissolved into ash. The men's reaction was immediate. Five of them lost their footing and fell backwards onto their rear. Gasps and cursing filled the air. Weapons were raised and aimed in different directions as the men tried desperately to locate their attacker. Alma's unnerving soft giggling seemed to be emanating from all directions. I knew she was finding pleasure in their panic and fear. The phase commander audibly said, "Command, Alma Wade has been encountered at the entrance to the Paragon auxiliary facility. Requesting instructions, over."

As one of the men screamed as he was dragged along his back by an unseen force into the darkness of a side tunnel, the commander's com link activated and a disguised male voice said, "Is she alone?" Child sized, bloody, barefoot footprints appeared between the men as if there was an invisible young girl that was walking in a line. In their panic, the five nearest men fired their submachine guns into the vacant space. The commander replied, "Yes. Command, what do we do?" The five men that were firing their submachine guns suddenly screeched in agony as they dropped their guns. As their teammates watched in horror, the men collapsed onto the ground as their bodies began to smoke as if they were dissolving. Before their eyes, the men's flesh was literally dissolved off their bodies and their bare skeletons were left lying in pools of blood. The remaining six men and the phase commander began firing in all directions. Alma manifested behind one and tapped him on his right shoulder. In his fear, when the man turned around, he was still firing his weapon. Alma, of course, had already disappeared and the man instead gunned down his own teammate. In the confusion, two of the men killed the man who had just mistakenly killed his own teammate. Those two men screamed as they were dragged in opposite directions into the darkness surrounding the station. The last two men tried to flee but the phase commander grabbed both of them and started barking formation orders.

The two men were terrified beyond the ability to function as Alma's playful antics had taken a severe toll on their sanity. One of them simply collapsed onto his rear and hugged himself as he began to rock back and forth while singing to himself in a broken voice. The other cried out in defeat and I could have sworn he was crying. He placed the end of his submachine gun's barrel underneath his chin and discharged his weapon into his own skull. As his weapon clattered when it hit the ground, the phase commander's com link stated in a frantic voice, "Come in! What the fuck is happening? Report in damn it!" As he swiveled around trying to locate his imminent killer, the armored man responded, "She fucking wiped out my whole team. Fuck me where is this bitch?" Not responding to his superiors after his last rant, the man yelled out, "You little fucking bitch! Show yourself! Come out of the shadows and face me!" Alma appeared behind him and whispered, "Hi." The man turned around and fired his penetrator at a now empty space. He searched intently for her in the same direction and failed to see her beside him as she was mockingly mimicking his actions. Finally, she asked, "Who are we looking for?"

He tried to kick her but he again found himself attacking something that was not there. Effectively unnerved, the large man said, "To Hell with this." He tried to escape by passing through a nearby wall but just as his left hand entered the glowing blue hole, the gateway suddenly closed. The man howled in pain as he withdrew his left arm from the wall only to find that the section that had made it through the hole was now gone. He dropped his penetrator and grasped at the now bleeding wound. Alma's childish voice said in a sad tone, "No don't go. I want to play some more." She manifested in the center of the platform and slowly walked towards her victim. She stopped as she reached him and asked, "Don't you like playing with me?" He roared back, "Fuck you bitch! Fuck you, your bastard sons, and that little shit Becket!" Immediately, Alma's playful smile disappeared and her body morphed into her hag form. My head began throbbing and I collapsed onto my knees as I dropped my rifle. My hands grasped the sides of my head as my headache threatened to cause me to blackout. Fighting through the pain, I forced myself back onto my feet. Alma held the large man above her and pinned against the wall with only her right arm. Her anger was thick in the air as she hissed at the man with her demonic voice, "Don't you dare insult my family!" Before he could do anything, she turned and threw him across the large space. The man's head smashed into a wall on the opposite side of the station hard enough to dislodge a few bricks. Groaning, he managed to stand on shaking legs. Alma appeared in her child form above him on the platform and watched him silently. The man weakly stammered, "You will never be anything more than a sick twisted freak." Not audibly responding, she simply waved goodbye. The man was confused until he realized that he was on the wrong set of tracks. Just as he looked to his right, a subway car collided with him as it raced through the station. Satisfied, the dark hair goddess happily skipped back towards me.

I retrieved my rifle as my headache dissipated. As she passed the still rocking ATC soldier, I saw him suddenly aim his pistol at her. She froze in confusion and fear as she saw me aim my rifle in her direction. She flinched as I sent a single round past her and into the head of the cowardly man. She turned and realized what had happened. As she turned back to me with a smile, I stated calmly, "You missed one." She snickered before she rushed over to where I stood. She gazed up at me with childish insecurity as if she was awaiting my approval of her actions. I nodded before I said, "Nicely done. It is actually kind of fun to watch when it is not happening to your squad." Her smile widened at my response and I could not help but to smile back. She asked me, "So, how do we get in?" I whistled and pointed at the armored train still laden with explosives. Her eyes widened in response and she asked in a worried tone, "Are you sure? Couldn't I just transport us to the other side of the bulkhead?" I shook my head and asked in a playful tone, "Come on, where is your sense of adventure?" She huffed before she said, "Fine. We will do it your way."

I boarded the train and found the controls on the forward car. To ensure that the train built up enough speed, I backed the train up to the station where we had killed the first four men. After rigging the explosives to detonate when I pressed the detonator, I made certain that the explosives were positioned to inflict maximum carnage. With a sadistic laugh, I thrust the throttle as far forward as it would go and then broke it for good measure. The train thundered towards its own destruction as if it was its last great gesture. By the time the bulkhead was in view, the cars had begun to vibrate and threatened to derail before the train reached the bulkhead. However, once again, Armacham had sown the seeds of its own destruction. The armor on the train was heavy enough to ensure that even beyond the maximally rated speed; the train would not derail before it did what I needed it to do. At the last second, I jumped from the lead car to the spot next to a waiting Alma. The train continued on its suicidal trip and we watched as it neared the bulkhead. With an earsplitting metallic screech, the reinforced train collided with the bulkhead, bulldozed its way through the barrier before finally reaching what was probably the end of the tracks, and derailed. The train folded like a house of cards as its cars began colliding with each other. Smoke and electrical sparks signaled the end of the rugged train. I pressed down on the detonator and an equally earsplitting noise accompanied the detonating high explosives. Motioning for everyone to follow me, I led the way through the flaming wreckage. After I passed the flames and smoke, I found myself in the loading bay of a clean, almost hospital looking facility. I scowled as I noticed the arrow on the smooth concrete floor that read, "Specimen intake". I muttered to myself in disgust, "Children are not specimens you sick bastards." Alma tugged on my right arm to get my attention. I looked down at her and she simply pointed up to an upper landing observation deck. I looked at where she was pointing and there was the backstabbing woman who left me to die in the amplifier like a rat in a cage. She was completely beside herself with fear when she saw Alma and the Replicas. In her fear, she failed to deduce my identity before she asked, "Who are you?" My anger boiled over and I grabbed the sides of my gas mask. After wrenching it off, I flung it to the side and let her see my face. I smirked at her reaction before I said with an anger-laced voice, "Hi bitch. Remember me?" As she went to run into the interior of the facility, I called after her, "Nowhere left to run Aristide. You cannot hide from me forever."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

After Aristide ran into the facility, I uttered a frustrated groan before I angrily yelled to no one in particular, "Fuck. Why does she always run?" Alma raised her right arm up and gently grasped my left shoulder. When I looked down at her, she quietly assured me, "We will get her Michael." I nodded before I turned to the two Replicas. I ordered Gamma 3, "Defend this position. Do not let anyone approach or leave." In the typical fashion, the puppet soldier replied, "Order confirmed. Defending position." This time, Aristide was not slipping through my grasp. I was going to make her tell me everything she knew about the Board of Directors before I killed her.

I followed the arrow for "Specimen intake" and hoped that it would lead me to an unlocked entrance to the facility. The loading area was small and we soon reached an airlock similar to those I encountered at Still Island. I activated the release mechanism but a robotic sounding woman's voice stated, "Warning, lockdown in progress. Unauthorized entry denied. Thank you for your cooperation." I mimicked in disgust, "Thank you for your cooperation." Backing away from the door, I remarked as I stretched my back, "So, we had to do this the hard way huh? Okay Mrs. Lockdown, I got your cooperation right here." I retrieved four blocks of C4 plastic explosive and attached one to each corner of the metal door. I retreated to a safe distance and detonated the synchronized charges. The door shuttered but did not give way. Undeterred, I shoulder charged the door. When my left shoulder collided with the barrier, the weakened structure finally submitted and fell backwards. It landed with a ground shaking crash and I fell on top of the heavy metal door.

Alpha 1 helped me to my feet and handed me my rifle. I took it before surveying my surroundings. The facility almost looked like an exact replica of the facility below the Elementary School. If that were true, then Aristide would likely be in the central command room. Over the intercom, I heard the same robotic female voice state, "Alert, security breach. All personnel are to follow protocol. Please stand by for further instructions." I led the way through the first section of labs. The machines we passed looked like the ones Aristide's doctors had used in my surgery except these were clearly meant for something else. Instead of injecting substances, these needles appeared to extract whatever it was that the scientist were extracting from the children. As torturous as these instruments appeared, for some reason, I had a sense of nostalgia when I looked at them. I stopped at a particularly torturous looking room and looked through the observation window. The room was only the dimensions of a medium sized pickup truck but the object at the center of the room evoked a chill down my spine. There was a chair that was similar to the amplifiers except it was child sized and a vertical grouping of needles was attached to the inside of the back support section. I shivered as I had a sudden feeling of needles penetrating my spine as I was forcibly strapped into the chair.

No. I realized it was not a feeling, but a memory. Or, more like a memory of a memory. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had a mission to complete and uncovering my secret past was not part of that mission. Besides, I personally did not want to remember what they did to me as a child. Some memories are better left buried. I was having a hard enough time keeping my current anger in check so the soldier part of me was in control. I was determined not to end up like my coveter. She had not been consumed by anger, she had drowned in it. She was rage incarnate; a living remnant of a neglected, victimized human being that had become saturated with the desire for vengeance to the point that nothing else remained.

My thoughts were interrupted by her voice asking me inside my mind, "Is that all you see when you look at me? Do I not mean anything else to you?" I replied, "That is a pretty sermon coming from the woman who raped me. Alma, do not lie to yourself. You have my sympathy and I am sorry for what was done to you, but that is as far as my positive feelings for you go. I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it, but after that, we part ways and I would like for you and everyone else to leave me alone." She seemed unmoved, even amused by my response. She smiled in an irritatingly happy manner before she stated with a tone that riled my suppressed primal urges, "Oh Michael, you forget that you cannot hide anything from me. Do not lie to yourself either. I know those darker thoughts and desires that you try so hard to ignore." I retorted back, "Well, I never had thoughts like these before you came along." She raised her right eyebrow as she said smugly, "So you were a perfect little saint before you met me and now I am solely responsible for your surfacing morally questionable urges. Is that right Michael?"

Losing control, I dropped my rifle as I grabbed her by her scrawny throat with my right hand and pinned her against the glass. Roughly grasping her chin with my left hand, I forced her to look me in the eyes when I stated, "Do. Not. Ever. Call me that name again. No one has ever called me that since…" "Your father." She said, finishing my sentence. She continued, "Mr.…" I squeezed her throat harder as I leaned in and whispered in her left ear, "Don't you dare say his name." She whispered back in a sultry voice that was completely alien to her childish façade, "Michael, you know I don't need air. Is there any particular reason you are getting so close to me? Do you like holding me like this so close to you? I'm defenseless and vulnerable. You could force yourself upon me and punish me for being a bad, little girl. You want that don't you? To teach me a lesson and regain your pride? To treat me like the naughty girl that I am? To experience the sensation of my cold body and your warm body intertwined as we fight for dominance? Admit it, you want me." She knew that she was right, but I was not going to lose sight of my objective. My mind calmed as the soldier regained control and I released her. As I turned away from her and retrieved my weapon, I uttered bitterly, "The mission is all that matters. My personal feelings are not part of that mission."

I started to continue moving towards the control room but paused when I heard her call after me softly, "It does not make you weak to act on your emotions sometimes. I know that is why he would hit you but you are a human being Michael. Not a robot." I did not respond and continued walking away from her except I was purposely making my footsteps louder. I knew that she was smiling at me even though I could not see her. She had the worst timing for trying to bond with someone that I had ever encountered. Even though she had changed from constantly being around me since the event in the amplifier, she still had a long way to go before she could even remotely mimic being a normal person. It was becoming apparent to me that her abilities may have indeed set in motion the tragic events that unfolded but it was the isolation that had finally broken her. I had seen the same method used to break prisoners when they refused to divulge the information that was needed to continue an operation. I had seen many things as a Delta Force operative that I would never be able to forget and watching grown men slowly crack in solitary confinement until they were reduced to nothing but crying shells was one of those things. For people broken like that, it would take years to recover and even then, they would never be the same person that they once were. Of course, some of them were simply beyond mortal recovery and chose to end their existence. All considered, it was commendable that Alma was even able to remember who she was and somewhat able to function like a person.

I scolded and reminded myself that I had a job to do. I tried to remember the path I had taken in the facility underneath the school because otherwise I would be fumbling around in a maze. If my memory was correct, I was near the holding area where I had encountered the abominations at the other facility. Sure enough, I found the security door that sealed off access to the rest of the facility. I knew that there would be two of these doors that I would have to unlock or breach in order to continue on to the control room. As I leaned against the door, I heard movement and the animalistic cries that I had learned to associate with abominations. Irritated, I switched the safety on my assault rifle off as I stated, "Shit. Not these things again!" A small hand lowered the barrel of my rifle. I glared at her as I asked, "What the Hell are you doing? Those things have tried to kill me." She disarmed me with her eyes as she stated, "They are in their cells. There is no need to harm them." After a few seconds, I switched my rifle's safety back on as I said, "Fine." I reached for my C4 charges but she stopped me and said, "Next lesson. Use your mind to unlock the security doors." Shaking my head in disbelief, I asked, "How?" She smiled and said, "Concentrate." Muttering about wasting time, I tried to focus on unlocking the doors by using the console at the center of the prison like room. I nearly cried out in shock as I was overcome with a strange feeling of weightlessness. In my mind, I could see the console before me and though I could not use my hands, I still somehow deactivated the lockdown in the room.

I had to resist the urge to hurl for a brief moment, but I felt a small sense of empowerment for unlocking the doors with my mind. Alma clapped briefly before she said, "Very good. See, most of it is just letting go of your own limitations." I smiled, but not because of her comment. With the holding area doors unlocked, only one last obstacle stood between Aristide and me. I had to suppress the traces of fear in my mind as I made my way through the holding area. In the pens, I could hear them crawling on the walls and vainly scratching on their cell doors. I glanced back and noticed that Alpha 1 seemed on edge as he constantly aimed his shotgun in the direction of the noises that he heard. I had never seen a Replica display fear before. Perhaps, there was more to this unit than I originally thought. I telepathically said to him, "Easy soldier. We are almost at the exit." I had expected him to respond as he had before when I said something to him that he was not programmed to understand. However, to my surprise, he responded, "I am not afraid for myself sir. I am afraid that I will not be able to adequately cover you if the specimens attack us in a group. We are at a disadvantage being out in the open like this." It took me a minute to get over the shock of a Replica managing to converse in such a manner. Finally, I was able to reply, "They are in their cells for now. Minimal threat." He did not reply and we had reached the other door anyway.

After we exited the holding area, it was a short distance to the final security door. As we stood outside Aristide's final defense, I could hear her inside talking to herself as she typed on a keyboard. I ordered Alpha 1, "Prepare to breach and clear. Nonlethal force only." He replied, "Order confirmed. Preparing to break and clear." I leaned against the wall just to the left of the door and Alpha 1 did the same on the opposite side. I said to him, "I will go high. You go low. I've got point." He nodded in response. I requested Alma, "Alma, want to do the honors?" She giggled as the air around her started to pulse and shimmer with energy. With a slightly different voice, she asked, "Ready?" I answered, "Yes. 3, 2, 1, Go!" A massive force of invisible energy collided with the door and the metal structure was no match for the onslaught. My reflexes activated as my left hand left my rifle's fore grip and grasped a flash bang grenade. As the door flew backwards, I tossed the tactical grenade through the opening. My reflexes deactivated briefly as I waited for the grenade to detonate. After the grenade spent itself by emitting a single but intense sound that was equivalent to standing next to a Space Shuttle as it launched, my reflexes reactivated as I charged through the door with my rifle aimed at the ready as I yelled, "Breaching, breaching." Aristide was at a large central console at the center of the room. Her senses were still recovering from the flash bang's assault and she only had time to become aware of what was happening just as I struck her across her face with the butt of my rifle's stock.

The blow caused her to fall backwards onto the floor. Her eyes seemed unable to focus for a full minute but when she finally regained focus, the first thing she saw was the business end of my weapon as I pointed it straight at her face. My reflexes deactivated and I looked at her with an emotionless façade. Behind me, I heard Alpha 1 state, "Clear!" I ordered him, "Alpha 1, subdue the target while I cover you." He moved towards me as he replied, "Yes sir." The business executive moaned in discomfort as the armored soldier roughly hauled her to feet and bound her hands behind her back with clear, plastic cable ties. As he did, I said smugly, "Genevieve Aristide, for crimes against humanity and for resisting protective custody of members of the United States of America's Armed Forces, I am placing you under arrest." She still seemed to be in shock from the sudden turn of events and replied in confusion, "What?" Alpha 1 had virtually no difficulty in overpowering her feeble attempts to break free from his grasp and he said, "Prisoner secured sir."

I roughly grasped her chin with my gloved left hand and stated, "Wake up bitch. I have someone here who wants to settle some things with you. I think you know her." I stepped to the side and forced her to look at the red dress clad raven-haired child that glared back at the older woman with an ominous expression of unimaginable rage and hatred. Aristide's efforts to escape Alpha 1's grasp intensified as her eyes widened in fear. She started to scream but I relocated my left hand to cover her mouth. I moved to stand in front of her again before I said, "However, before you answer to her, you and I will be spending some quality time together." A few minutes later, we had transported Aristide to one of the test chambers and strapped her into the amplifier chair. As she cried silently, I circled her calmly while I waited for Alpha 1 to return with the items that I had sent him to retrieve. I had informed Gamma 3 of the situation and he reported that there had been no activity at the entrance of the facility. Alma sat with her legs crossed as she innocently examined my assault rifle a few feet from Aristide. I had unloaded my firearm before handing it to her and had even explained the basics of how it operated. As she repeated what I had shown her, she started to hum the song from the music box that she seemed enthralled with for some reason. I had to admit, it was a beautifully morbid sound and I softly hummed it myself as I repeated the same circle around the terrified woman.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the door opened and Alpha 1 walked in with a twelve-volt battery that could be found in most automobiles, a set of booster cables with alligator clips at the ends, and a one-gallon bucket that was filled with water. He placed them down in front of Aristide before he moved off to the side of the room. Alma casually looked over at the items before quickly returning to her examination of my rifle. I stopped humming and stood by the right side of the executive. I turned my body to face in the same direction that her body was and squatted down until I was at her height. I placed my left hand on her right shoulder and calmly and clearly explained, "Aristide, you have information that I want. However, fortunately for you, the U.S. Military does not officially condone the use of torture to extract information from prisoners of war. It is considered inhumane and violates the rules of war. However, unfortunately for you, the U.S. Military abandoned me so I no longer report to them. I now work for someone else and she has authorized me to use whatever methods I deem fit to accomplish my mission." I looked at the dark haired goddess and asked, "Isn't that right Alma?" Without looking up from the weapon that she had in her lap, she gave me a quick thumbs up with her tiny right hand in response. I resumed my statement to Aristide, "See that? Now, I know you think that you know what I am planning to do with those items, but trust me I can get creative. However, being the kind person that I am, I am giving you a limited time offer. Simply give me the names of the members of the Board of Directors as well as any other information I might need to take down ATC. Do that and I give you my word that I will not harm you or pursue you further after I leave this room. So Aristide, how would you like to proceed?" She broke down and started sobbing. Groaning in annoyance, I said, "Tick Tock ma'am. My patience is running out." She blurted out, "Becket, I…I swear it wasn't personal okay? Please just let me go. Please?" I snapped at her, "Bitch, I don't care if it was personal or not. All I care about is information. Now, my patience has run out. The next statement that comes out of your mouth had better be about the Board or I will start breaking things. Think very carefully about your next move." She hung her head down in defeat and said, "In my left pocket, there is a PDA. On it, you will find all the information that you will need to know." I searched the pocket and sure enough, I found a weathered grey PDA. After looking through some of the files, I verified that she was indeed telling the truth. I nodded my head and stood. I said, "Outstanding. See, that was easy and painless. Our business is concluded."

I looked down at my coveter and asked, "Alma?" She looked up at me and cocked her head to the right in curiosity. I continued, "Your turn." As I made my way to her, behind me Aristide cried out in fear and panic, "What? You said…" I cut her off as I reached the young girl, who had raised my rifle up to me as if she was giving me a holy relic, by stating, "I said that I would not harm you. I did not say anything about my little friend here." After I gently retrieved my weapon from Alma's outstretched hands, I playfully ruffled her hair and said, "Have fun sweetie. I will be outside waiting for you." She giggled before she mockingly threatened, "Stop messing with my hair." I replied, "Yes ma'am." I made my way to the door and as I reached it, I heard Aristide beg me, "Please Becket, I'm sorry. Have mercy. Please don't leave me with her. I'll help you. I have friends in the government. You can go back to living your regular life. Just please don't leave me with her." Without looking back, I replied with satisfaction, "Good bye Aristide. I would stay but she has requested to have some privacy while you two work things out." I exited the room and Alpha 1 followed close behind. We leaned with our backs against the wall on opposite sides of the doorway. I heard Aristide crying and begging for her life for a few moments before she started screaming in agony. For nearly an hour, I indulged myself in twisted pleasure as I listened to her pain as well as the occasional image that my goddess would show me in my mind through our psychic bond. At the back of my mind, I knew that with each passing moment of indulgence that I was succumbing more and more to Alma's influence. However, while I stood with my back leaning against the wall and while I was casually examining my weapon to ensure that Alma had not accidently damaged it, I simply could not bring myself to care enough to fight it.

Finally, the screaming ceased and dead silence filled the corridor. Alma materialized between Alpha 1 and me. She had a look of satisfaction on her pale face when I looked down at her. She calmly reported, "One down. Thank you for that Michael." I smiled and replied, "No problem. Come on, let's get out of here."


	6. Chapter 6

Ch.6

"Don't you walk away from me boy!" My father yelled from behind me. I had packed everything that I wanted out of the miserable excuse for a bedroom into a duffle bag and was walking out the front door. I ignored him and kept walking calmly towards the street. By this time, the neighbors were out on their porches and observing the spectacle. I ignored them as well. I hated them just as much as I hated my parents. As I reached my parked Ranger, I opened the driver side door and tossed my bag into the passenger seat. Before I could get in and finally escape from that hellhole, two hands grabbed me from behind me and turned me around. My tormentor scowled at me but, this time, I stood my ground and pushed him backwards. I said to him, "Get over yourself you worthless old man. There is nothing you can do to stop me this time. I have already signed the papers. I joined the army. Good-bye Father. I hope you find peace someday." My high school had a JROTC program and the Sergeant in charge had taken an interest in me. I knew his reasons were not strictly honorable because I was a textbook example of an academic failure that would either make a living at a dead end job or enlist in the military. I did not care about his ulterior motives as long as I could exploit him in return. When I explained my situation at home, he offered to help me. He explained that he had an old friend who was a Recruitment Officer. Yesterday, I had turned eighteen and signed the forms to enlist in the U.S. Army. Not looking back at the alcoholic, I got into my small truck and closed the door. After locking the door immediately, I cranked my truck and drove away from the house that I had grown up in but felt no sentimental attachment to. That was the last I ever saw or heard of my gene-related family.

"Delta Force?" I looked my commander in the eyes as I asked him in shock. He had summoned for my presence but I had assumed it was about missing the Tuesday Physical Training session because I preferred to do my own workouts and exercises. I could push myself harder when I did not have lazy and unmotivated soldiers holding me back. My commander handed me the paper so I could read it for myself. As I was reading it, he remarked, "Apparently, someone took a special interest in you, son. Enough to personally vouch for you. So, getting the opportunity to become a Delta Force operative…are you interested?" I did not believe I was worthy of such an honor and I replied, "Sir, Delta Force is reserved for elite professional soldiers. I am only a grunt." With a straight face, the veteran remarked, "No son, those tin soldiers marching in formation outside are grunts. Men like you are professional soldiers. Don't let your talents go to waste Becket."

"Transferred?" I asked my commander. He nodded and handed me a large yellow folder with the word "classified" written on the front. As I looked through the personnel files, he continued, "Sergeant Becket, meet your new squad codename: Dark Signal." I was dumbfounded. I had expected to be reprimanded for being the only survivor when my squad was ambushed during a hostage rescue operation. I asked him, "Permission to speak freely sir." He replied, "Granted." I thought through my response careful before I said, "I am confused sir. Why am I not being held responsible for being the only survivor? I should have died with my squad." He seemed perplexed by my attitude. I had never seen the old veteran willingly display emotions before that moment. With an almost fatherly tone, he replied, "Sergeant, you did what you could for them and even managed to complete the mission singlehandedly. We can't ask any more from you than that. Just between us, I doubt that I could have done what you did." I did not reply and he returned to his usual emotionless tone when he said, "The Supply Officer is already waiting for you to retrieve your new gear. Dismissed." I went to attention and saluted him.

I awoke inside the APC but I still felt as tired as ever. If anything, my fatigue was getting worse. I had gotten used to uncomfortable sleeping arrangements over the course of previous operations, but for some reason I was finding it nearly impossible to get any form of productive rest. "Maybe you should let me sleep with you." Alma's voice echoed through my sleep-deprived mind. I groaned and rolled over so I was prostrate in an attempt to ward her off. She giggled at my childish behavior. As I tried to ignore her, I suddenly felt a small, soft body lay on top of me. I mumbled about wanting to be left alone, but she whispered, "The reason you can't sleep is because you are going through withdrawal. Like an addict trying to quit. You can sense my presence and it has a unique feel to you right?" I only shrugged despite the fact that she was right. She sighed and continued, "The more you are exposed to my presence, the more it affects you when we are not in close proximity. Trust me; just let me be with you when you sleep. I do not sleep, but I promise to not do anything to you. I have a lot of experience being alone with my thoughts so I will not mind staying with you while you rest."

Trying to change the subject, I remarked, "You know, you have come a long way from barely being able to mumble an occasional understandable statement." I could feel her smile and before I could try to take a more active step to get her away from me, she started humming softly. Whatever she was doing proved to be beyond what my worn out mental defenses could resist and I passed out. I found myself in one of Alma's created worlds except this one was much more peaceful. The usually bleak and depressing meadow with the dead tree for a nucleus had been replaced by a healthy meadow with a sturdy, living tree overlooking the area like a silent guardian. As I made my way to the top of the hill through the tall stalks of grass, I became aware of a young girl in a white dress sitting against the tree. From far away, she looked like Alma except something about her was off. After I closed the distance and stood before her, I noticed that some of her features were different. She seemed to finally notice my presence and looked up at me. Her eyes were like mine. Well, how they used to be: grey. She smiled and jumped to her feet. She ran up to me and hugged my right leg as she exclaimed excitedly, "Daddy!" Instinctually, my right hand went for my sidearm as I feared another trick from one of my coveter's mind games. The girl saw what I was doing and her eyes went wide with fear. Her eyes started shinning as if she was about to cry as I held my 9mm handgun and aimed it at her head. My thoughts finally caught up with my reflexes and I realized what I was doing. Holstering my weapon, I said apologetically, "Sorry, old habit. You are who I think you are, right? I can see your mother in you." She looked at me for a moment before she asked, "Why aren't you happy to see me?" I shook my head as I replied, "Because you shouldn't exist. I don't understand how it is even possible that you exist. Are you even alive?" She gently grasped my left hand and guided it to her chest. I hid my shock as I felt her warmth and worst of all, a heartbeat. She smiled at me as she cocked her head sideways. After a few seconds, she asked, "See? I am alive." Uncomfortable, I retracted my hand. She continued to smile at me innocently and even said, "Mommy is right. You are funny Daddy." Her expression darkened as she said, "Mommy also said that there are monsters looking for us." The young girl buried her head into the side of my right leg as she again hugged me tightly. Through the material, she asked on the verge of crying, "You will protect me from the monsters though. Right Daddy?" I did not know what else to do, so I knelt down and lightly hugged the frightened child as I reassured her, "It's okay. Don't worry about the monsters because I will get rid of them for you." She sniffled as she smiled up at me. I slowly retracted from her and stood. She looked towards the sky as if she heard something before she looked back to me and said, "Mommy needs you. Good-bye for now Daddy. I love you."

The world dissolved away into nothing and glowing eyes guided me out of the darkness. As I found myself back in the APC, I noticed that I was lying on my back rather than how I fell asleep. Alma smiled at me before she said, "Morales found one of them." I smirked as I stood and exited the armored vehicle. As I exited the vehicle, I heard Alpha 1 say from behind me, "Good morning sir." I wheeled around to find that he had been guarding the entrance to the APC even though I could not recall ordering him to do so. I smiled slightly at him before I said, "Good morning Alpha 1. Form up on me." He remarked, "Yes sir." I turned back around and made my way over to where Morales sat in at the workstation. As I approached, I called out, "Manny, give me what you got." He nodded and said, "Becket, man I think I found one of those people on the Board of Directors. He is still in the city." Shocked, I tried to peer over his right shoulder to look at the screen. He waved me off and said smugly, "You forgot to say please." I laughed and replied, "You dick, just tell me what you know." He laughed in return and said, "Alright, alright. ATC is running their operations from a docked frigate. Apparently, their Chief of Operations has taken up residence there. Problem is that they have turned the harbor into a fortress. They have got more men and firepower than even you could take on." Undeterred, I remarked, "Nothing is impenetrable." He shook his head and said, "I don't know man. Becket, I know you are a badass, but I think this one is out of your league. You aren't sneaking into that place undetected." I snorted loudly as I felt insulted. Boldly, I pronounced, "Watch me. Location?" He handed me the GPS coordinates uneasily. I smiled and said reassuringly, "Manny, man it's me. I have pulled off miracles before."

I turned to the Replicas and said, "Alpha 1 and Ghost 4, grab your gear and form up on me. This is an infiltration operation so equip suppressors." In unison, the soldiers replied, "Order confirmed. Forming up." Two hours and several near exposures later, we were looking down at the now bustling harbor from the vantage point of the roof of an abandoned apartment building that stood on the opposite side of the street from the harbor entrance. The explosion had not reached this particular section of the harbor but I could see that further towards the industrial section of the city, the harbor was unuseable as rubble blocked ship travel. The frigate must have docked as far into the channel as it could. Beside me, Alma asked quietly, "So, how do we get in?" I responded, "It is not getting in that is the problem. The problem is getting to the Chief of Operations without alerting anyone to our presence. The second that the alarm is raised, our chances of getting to him will hit rock bottom. We need to do this in one go or we will never get the same opportunity again."

The ATC guards were not amateurs. In fact, judging by how disciplined they appeared, I would wager that some of them had a background in Special Forces. However, they were clearly expecting a large-scale assault because I could see gaps in their defenses. My timing would have to be perfect, but I was certain that I could sneak past the guards and infiltrate the frigate. I waited until nightfall to make my move. I had been studying their movements and I discovered an overlooked path that would allow me to bypass the automated turrets and patrols. The only issue was that the path had a section that would leave me exposed if a wayward guard happened to be around. For that, I had an unusual plan that involved the assistance of my vengeful friend. I turned to her and asked, "Alma, how are you with weather?" She raised her left eyebrow for a moment before she read my thoughts. She nodded and dissolved into a cloud of ash. Without looking at them, I said to the Replicas, "We are moving out."

After we reached the alleyway next to the apartment, I pressed myself against the wall as I waited for the moment to strike. My target was the crumbling brick wall about thirty yards to the left of the main entrance. The squad stationed there would be distracted in exactly ten seconds when the next APC would leave the docks with a new group of replacements headed for the frontlines where the main Replica force was still engaging the ATC cleanup crews. The men at the entrance would have to open the gate to let the armored vehicle pass. The searchlights only illuminated the guard post, not the surrounding street. Furthermore, the automated turrets' sensors did not extend that far. Overhead, I could already hear the telltale sounds of the approaching storm. Strange clouds with a blood red glow were massing above the harbor as the rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning filled the air. Though she was not physically with me, we were still conversing with each other through our bond. We would have to get our timing just right for my scheme to work.

Right on schedule, the APC rolled up behind the gate. As it did, I told her, "Now." What was essentially a thunderstorm straight out of Hell descended upon the unsuspecting mercenaries. Instead of rain, bits of molten rock and ash fell from the Hellish sky. As the men at the front gate looked up at the unusual sight, a flash of lightning lit up the area. As soon as darkness returned, I ran as quietly as I could towards the wall with the Replicas following close behind me. With their eyes effectively robbed of any adaption to the low light by the flash of lightning, we were proverbially invisible to the guards. In the seconds that it took us to reach the wall, the accompanying roar of thunder cloaked our footsteps. I reached the wall first and turned around before I squatted down with my hands forming a cup. Without missing a beat or slowing down, Alpha 1 placed his right boot in my hands and I boosted him up so he could reach the top of the wall. I turned around and jumped up. Alpha 1 caught my outstretched right hand and hauled me up. As Ghost 4 reached the wall, he raised both of his hands up. I grabbed his right hand and Alpha 1 grabbed his left hand. Together, we hoisted the sniper up. As expected, the other side of the wall was concealed in darkness and we dropped to the ground with our weapons at the ready.

The confusion brought on by the bizarre sight of fire raining down from the sky was having the effect I was planning. The guards tightened their spacing and the chances of being caught by a random guard taking a smoke or bathroom break was eliminated. My plan worked without a hitch as we sneaked past the security checkpoints and patrols. Finally, we reached the gangplank that connected the ship to the dock. Two phase commanders were on either side of the dockside entrance to the walkway. I overheard their conversation. The one on the left asked, "Hey, did you hear about what happened to the guys that they sent after Aristide?" The one on the right replied, "Yeah, I heard the bitch got them. Poor bastards never had a chance. I heard that the reinforcements couldn't even find the phase commander that was leading them. Also, apparently some maniac used the armored train to bulldoze through the security door." The one on the left asked, "Did the reinforcements find anyone in the facility?" The one on the right responded, "Besides the freaks in the cages? No. Not a fucking trace of anyone was in that facility. My buddy that was part of the recon team said that it looked like a special ops team had breached the command room door and captured Aristide."

The one on the left thought for a moment before he asked, "Think she is alive?" The one on the right shook his head before he said, "No. One of the amplifier chambers was sealed from the inside and when our men finally unlocked the door, they said that the entire inside of chamber was coated with blood and strapped in the chair was a bloody skeleton. When the coroner examined the remains, he concluded that they were definitely those of Aristide." There was a pause before the one on the left remarked, "That's so fucked up. That sounds like what I have heard the psycho in the red dress does to people." He straightened slightly as if something important had just dawned on him. He turned to look at the other phase commander and inquired, "Wait, so a Special Forces team breached the facility and Alma was helping them?" The other commander replied, "Or the Special Forces team was helping Alma." The one on the left sounded worried when he said, "Who would help that freak? What could she possibly give them in return?" The other one shrugged before he laughed and remarked, "Maybe she fucks them like that government guard dog at Still Island. Man, that Sergeant Becket sounds like one sick puppy. I wouldn't touch that dead chick with a ten foot pole." Both men laughed at the comment and went back to guarding the walkway.

I tightened my grip on my assault rifle as I forced the urge to kill both of the tin soldiers with my bare hands back into my subconscious. I hoped that they enjoyed their amusement at my expense because I was about to ruin their day. I saw an approaching APC that was leaving the unloading area and headed for the main gate. My body was enveloped with a red aura as I focused my anger on the vehicle's driver. As I did, I heard her voice as she urged me to continue. I assaulted my victim with the raw energy of my anger. The attack was too much for the man and as I had wanted, his right foot pressed down on the accelerator as the soldier's heart ceased its pumping. Under the influence of its deceased master's death grip, the vehicle roared passed us and continued on its path of destruction. It was not long before a loud crash could be heard over the rumbling of thunder. Shouts filled the air and the two phase commanders left their post to investigate the disturbance. I shot them both my middle finger with my left hand as they passed. Once the way was clear, I made my way to the gangplank. ATC certainly had not expected an intruder to get this far without being detected because the frigate itself was devoid of any sentries or guards. Almost laughing, I made it aboard the vessel with literally no one left to get in my way.

I knew exactly where to find my target and led the way as we crept through the tight steel walled corridors. I avoided being detected by the occasional sailor and finally reached the hatch that led to the bridge. As I arrived, I saw Alma already there waiting for me. She smiled brightly at me when she saw me approach and I smiled back. Through the watertight door, I heard a middle aged man with an air of smug self-importance in his voice as he asked, "Has there been any new developments concerning Alma Wade, Sergeant Becket, or the Origin Prototypes?" I looked through the porthole and saw that there was a sophisticated control room that had holographic layouts of the city emitting from circular table looking devices at the center of the space. A large flat screen monitor was facing me and the image of the chairman Carson Salyers was on the screen. A younger Caucasian man with brown hair and dressed in camouflaged fatigues had his back turned to me as he replied to the screen, "Not since the incident that occurred to the first team we sent to kill Aristide. There have been no sightings of Point man since the explosion. Sergeant Becket is still missing and we have no idea where he is. Intelligence believes that he may have already left the city." Carson replied angrily, "Damn it Roger! Find that little bastard. He is our only hope to find Alma and contain her. We are at risk of falling behind schedule. No more excuses." With that, the screen turned into static. The man muttered bitterly before walking over to one of the holograms. He still had his back turned to me and I silently opened the hatch. I walked up behind him with my suppressed rifle aimed rock steady at the back of his head. He asked aloud, "Where are you Sergeant?" I answered smugly, "Behind you." He cried out in fear as he wheeled around just in time to see the business end of my weapon before I discharged a round into his skull at pointblank range.

AN: I know this is a weird place to stop, but it will make sense when I post the next chapter. Thanks to everyone taking the time to read my story.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch.7

The man was dead before he hit the floor. I smiled at the sight of his deceased body propped on top of the hologram emitter that he had been examining. I ordered Ghost 4, "Seal that hatch." The puppet soldier closed the hatch. I said to Alpha 1, "Send all the data that you can to the commanders in charge of the main Replica forces. That should give them the upper hand." He nodded and replied, "Yes sir." As he was relaying Armacham troop locations and movements to his brethren, I noticed a console against the far wall and walked over to it. After setting my rifle aside, I started typing on the console's keyboard. Beside me, Alma asked, "What are you looking for?" I replied, "Don't you think it is a bit odd that things always seem to work in Armacham's favor?" She cocked her head to the right before she replied, "No…what do you have in mind?" I continued searching through the computer's files as I explained, "In an email I found, an anonymous individual said that he had diverted the Harbinger candidates to her penthouse. Basically, my squad. To do that, an individual needs to be very influential. Just because I am an expendable asset does not mean that I am a moron. I know the little games that are always happening behind closed doors. Aha! Found you! You slimy little bastard. David Hoyle. U.S. Senator. Oh, Alma, you are going to enjoy this one. Looks like he was a huge financial backer for Project Origin. He is also the one who had your first son transferred to the F.E.A.R. team. Not to mention the fact that he is the one who got my squad, and the squad sent into Armacham headquarters killed."

Her eyes flared in fury at the information. I assured her, "Don't worry, we will get him." Her anger seemed to subside for the moment and she remarked, "Well…at least we put a dent in their operations." I sighed and said, "It won't stop them. Hell, it might not even slow them down. Now, another name just got added to the list." I grunted angrily as I slammed my left fist onto the keyboard. Alma placed her left hand on my right shoulder and started to rub it. The anger I was feeling felt different from anything I had ever felt before. Even my anger for my father could not compare to the stockpiled anger that I was struggling to keep under control. Even the word "anger" could not accurately label the rolling black mass of negative energy that was swirling inside my mind. Whatever it was, it was feeding a feral, primal side of my psyche. Alma said in a soothing voice, "Michael, come back to me. Focus on my voice." I listened to her and the black mass started to dissipate. I said aloud, "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless." Retrieving my assault rifle, I repeated myself, "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless." My tactic worked and the negative energy subsided.

Looking down at Alma, I said apologetically, "I'm sorry." She shook her head and smiled before she replied, "Don't be. I know how hard it is to control. Just please don't let it control you or you will end up like those things in the cages." I shivered involuntarily. I would rather be dead than to live as a hollow shell. I groaned before I said, "I am fine now. I just…I can't believe how far this whole thing goes up the ladder. A senator? A war is coming...nothing short of a war." I looked back at the body and smiled darkly. I chuckled, which caused Alma to smile up at me when I looked down at her. I remarked, "Still, that was some trick we just pulled. No matter what happens after this, we killed that prick in the middle of his little clubhouse. That is going to give the rest of them something to think about. Come on, time to vanish into thin air."

That was easier said than done. For the full impact of our actions to be felt, we had to avoid being seen on our exit. It was too risky to go out the way we came in, even with the cover of the raging storm of fire. As I was thinking of a way to covertly exit the harbor, I noticed Alpha 1 place his first two fingers of his left hand up against his helmet as if he was listening to the built in radio. He nodded his head and said, "Understood." Turning to me, he said, "Sir, one of our commandos has located a woman named Jin Sun-Kwon. He has her detained but she is demanding to speak to his commander." I nodded and activated my own com link as I told him, "Patch me in." He replied, "Yes sir." I spoke into my com link, "Hello Miss Sun-Kwon, Sergeant Becket of Delta Force here. You wanted to speak to me?" I heard a young, Korean-American woman reply, "Delta Force? How…is this some trick?" I assured her, "No ma'am. I promise that this is not some trick. I really am from Delta Force. My squad was codenamed Dark Signal. I apologize for you having to be detained. I ordered the Replicas not to harm any civilians but to take precautions when one was located. Your turn: who are you and why did you request to speak to me?" She held her ground when she replied, "You ordered the Replicas…but only psychic commanders can control them. Who are you Sergeant Becket?" I sighed before I replied, "Long story. One involving Armacham, Project Origin, and Project Harbinger. Look, I hate to be rude but I am kind of in the middle of something so if you have something to say, you need to say it."

She seemed to get the message when she asked, "Where do your allegiances lie Sergeant?" I glanced down at Alma before I replied, "With the victims of Armacham and with my brothers and sisters in the armed forces." She said, "In that case, I am a member of F.E.A.R. and I need your help." In shock, I asked, "Wait, you are part of F.E.A.R.? No one has heard from you guys since the explosion. Why are you alone? What happened to the rest of your team?" I noticed Alma suddenly perk up at the name of F.E.A.R. and she moved closer to me as she anxiously awaited news about the wellbeing and whereabouts of the members. Jin replied, "Yes, I am part of F.E.A.R. My team has been scattered since the explosion. Jankowski has been missing since before the explosion and at this point, I have to assume that he is dead." I interrupted her by saying, "Jankowski? Shit, you must be talking about Spencer." She replied confused, "Yes, how did you…" I explained, "His brother was in my squad. He died right in front of me from one of Armacham's surgical devices." "Son?" I heard Alma whisper frantically. She seemed desperate to learn any information about his whereabouts. I asked the F.E.A.R. operative, "What about your point man?" She replied in a noticeably worried tone, "I lost contact with our point man when our Black Hawk crashed. I have been trying to contact him but his com link must be broken. I do not know where he is but I am sure that he is alive." She then said, as if to herself, "I wish he was here right now. I always knew I was safe if he was around." Alma was immensely disappointed by the news. As her head dropped and her hair covered her face in a shroud, a slight shaking of her slim form announced that she was about to cry. I placed my left hand on her tiny, fragile looking right shoulder to comfort her.

I decided at that moment that even as much as I still resented her for what she had done to me, that I needed to do more than just help her get even with her torturers. Besides, from what I had heard about him, the man was an unstoppable, nearly invincible walking tank. He would be a valuable ally. I asked, "Do you have any idea how to locate him?" Alma's head lifted and she looked at me with a confused look. Before she could say anything, Jin replied, "That is the reason I need your help. I think I know someone who might have an idea where he is. Armacham has captured a Delta Force operative by the name of Sergeant Douglas Holiday and are in the process of transporting him out of the city." I asked, "Holiday? That bomb nut? What does he have to do with your point man?" She explained, "He was attached to my team during the course of our mission. When our helicopter crashed, he was onboard. When I regained consciousness, both our point man and Holiday were missing. I am guessing that they presumed I died in the crash and left together. Again though, that is just a guess." I replied, "That is good enough for me. Do you know where they are taking him to transport him out of the city?" She responded, "No, sorry." I said, "Don't worry, I will track him down. In the meantime, I will have the commando escort you to where the rest of my squad is." She replied in confusion, "How will you find him?" I glanced at the console I had been using before I replied, "Don't worry about that. Commando, escort the VIP to the safe house. Guard her with your life." I heard the Replica soldier reply, "Order confirmed. Escorting VIP. Please, follow me ma'am." As I started to head for the console, I suddenly heard Jin contact me again, "Wait, Becket. Umm…this is going to sound strange, but have you, by any chance, seen a Caucasian girl around eight years old with dark hair, pale skin, glowing orange eyes, and wearing a red dress?" I smiled mischievously and replied with a short laugh at the beginning, "No ma'am. Sorry, can't say that I have. Why, who is she?" Jin replied quickly with noticeable embarrassment, "No one, forget I asked. Just, if you do see her, try not to get her attention. Good luck Becket."

I said, "Thanks." Hoping that she did not have anything else to add, I walked over to the console. As I searched the database, I said aloud, "Okay, let's see here. Reinforcement schedules…oh here we go, Evacuation schedules. All right, need to find…Doctor Green...no, ha it says she tried to interview Alma Wade and ended up losing most of her sanity. Moving on…aha, found him. Douglas Holiday…captured, blah blah blah, was nonresponsive to initial questioning…don't care…don't care…oh son of a bitch. Location: Port Authority Airport; awaiting final transportation out of the quarantine zone. Fuck, the scheduled time is 23:10 hours. Shit, that is less than an hour from now. The airport is on the other side of the bridge. We are going to need to haul ass to get to him in time." "Michael?" Alma's voice interrupted my train of thought. I looked down at her and asked, "Yes?" She still looked confused and it was in her voice when she asked, "It is not that I am ungrateful, but why are you helping me find my son? I mean, you don't have to because that was not part of our deal. So why are you?" Trying to keep up my uncaring front, I said plainly, "Don't get a big head or get any ideas, I have my reasons." I did not need to be psychic to know that she saw through my front with little difficulty. She smiled brightly before she said, "You care about my feelings." When I turned away to try to ignore that unpleasant conversation and where it was going, she continued her advance by asking in purposely childish voice, "Do you wike me Michael? Huh? Do you have a cwush on the girl who did a no-no to you?" Though it was futile to deny it, I retorted back, "Oh shut up Alma."

Her eyes burned with amusement but she replied simply, "Okay, okay. Another time. So, how are we going to get to the airport in time?" I was admittedly stumped until I noticed the Black Hawk helicopter that was parked on its helipad on the aft section of the ship. I pointed to it to alert my group about its existence. I smiled as I said, "That will work. Let's just hope that it is preped enough to make it to the airport." We exited the bridge as silently as we could. The vessel's corridors were nearly deserted save for a few sailors that were making their usual rounds. We were able to bypass them with relative ease and we wasted very little time getting to the Black Hawk. The helicopter was glossy black and had Armacham's logo on the door panels. It was armed with two miniguns and I noticed that the frame was reinforced. As we waited for the sweeping search light to cycle through its pattern so we could get to the helicopter without being seen, Alma asked me through our bond, "You know how to fly that right?" I replied, "Yeah…sure." In reality, my flight experience came from having to take control of an older model after the pilot was gunned down while hovering low to the ground at a landing zone. When militias with AK-47's are shooting you at, and several civilians are depending upon you to get them out of the situation, you tend to learn very quickly.

Finally, the searchlight cycled and we rushed to the Black Hawk. The doors were open and we climbed into the bird. I sat down in the pilot seat and the two Replicas operated the miniguns. Alma sat down in the copilot seat and looked over at me. I studied the instrument panel and though there were differences from the one I had operated before, it was not long before I located the parts that I needed to fly the bird. Alma asked in a playful tone, "Hesitating?" I smirked before I reached over and strapped her in. After strapping myself in, I told her, "This might get rough." As the Black Hawk roared to life, I was relieved to see that the fuel gauge indicated a full tank. The takeoff was nowhere near textbook but I managed to quickly adapt to the upgraded systems. Our exit was not covert, but given the circumstances, I did not care. Alarms sounded, but by that time, the helicopter had transported us well beyond the effective range of any ground-based retribution. I said into my com link, "Manny, I have commandeered an ATC helicopter and am currently headed for the airport in an attempt to rescue a fellow Delta Force operative. A woman by the name of Jin Sun-Kwon is currently being escorted to your location. She is a surviving member of the F.E.A.R. team. I will update you as things progress." He replied, "What the fuck? How…why are you...you know what, fuck it. Just try not to get killed man." I looked down at the city as we flew above it. The raining fire cast the city below us in an eerie red glow and for the first time, I could see the full extent of the devastation. My heart sank as a feeling of human loss filled my mind. What was once a metropolis had been transformed into a wasteland of rubble and firefights. Sections of the city that were far enough away from the blast seemed intact but I saw little in terms of life. Essentially, Fairport had really become a, "Dead city." Alma said as she finished my thought.

Our moment of sightseeing was cut short when Alpha 1 yelled, "Sir, enemy choppers incoming." I glanced over my shoulders and saw four heavily armed attack helicopters approaching us from behind: two on the left and two on the right. I knew that the Black Hawk was no match for the predators in a straight up dogfight. I had to loss them before we reached the bridge or we would be shot down before we even reached the halfway point. Armed with only two side-mounted miniguns, I was at a severe disadvantage to their missiles and dual chainguns. The instrument panel reported that it was 22:30 hours. I had precious little time to waste on my pursuers. Below us, the remains of multistory buildings defiantly stood firm despite being surrounded by the innards of less fortunate structures. Before the ATC choppers could get a lock on us, I maneuvered the bird down to street top level.

The four choppers followed my movements and closed to within two hundred yards. The lead pursuer opened fire with its chainguns. Nearly clipping the side of a building, I turned right at an intersection to get out of the line of fire. A few rounds impacted the Black Hawk's hull but the rugged chopper was unaffected. An explosion behind us signaled that one of the predators had failed to turn sharp enough and impacted the building that I had nearly hit myself. A warning tone alerted me that a missile was locked onto our bird. I jerked the stick hard to the left and turned at another intersection. Our main rotor blades missed the surface of the asphalt by inches and the Black Hawk shook as it struggled to make the turn but it managed. The missile passed underneath us and impacted the ground just a few yards ahead of us. The explosion's shockwave rocked the helicopter and the debris thrown up rattled against the hull and cracked the glass window on the copilot side of cockpit. The instrument panel flashed and warnings sounded as the Black Hawk protested the abuse. I grunted under my breath, "Son of a bitch. Too close." I leveled our chopper and scanned our surroundings. Seeing an aboveground parking lot, I maneuvered over to it. It was three stories tall and the spacing between the floors was just barely enough to allow the Black Hawk passage. I eased back on the forward thrust to allow our pursers time to close the gap. As we approached the structure, I said to my little copilot, "Alma, grab the rest of my C4 charges. As we pass through, attach a charge to any part of the structure that looks like it is holding the deck above it. As soon as we exit the space, detonate the charges." With no time to argue, she quickly unstrapped herself, gathered my C4 charges, and relocated to the open cargo bay.

I was so focused on threading the proverbial needle that as we entered the tight concrete passage, a burst from one of their chainguns scored a solid hit on our hull. Our bird shuttered but continued on a steady path. I could not afford to glance back to see if Alma had managed to do what I asked so I kept going on blind faith. Sure enough, we had no sooner exited the space before a massive explosion erupted behind us. The sound of crumbling concrete, strained metal and the sudden lack of additional helicopter rotors slicing through the air confirmed that the three predators had been caught in our trap. Before I could sigh in relief or even remotely celebrate our victory, the instrument panel lit up and I saw that our chopper was losing hydraulic pressure. It was a slow leak but I worried that by the time we arrived at the airport, I was going to be flying a brick instead of a helicopter. With nowhere to go but forward, I forced the injured bird onward. The instrument panel reported that it was 22:40 hours. I estimated that it would take approximately ten additional minutes to reach the airport. That was not exactly on the razor's edge of time, but it was still enough to be quite uncomfortable. We approached the bridge and I could see ATC mercenary activity both on the bridge and surrounding the airport. My heart started racing as I saw the C-130 Hercules parked on the runway as if it was ready for takeoff.

I muttered to myself, "No. That is not happening. Not while I am here." I switched off the helicopter's lights and lowered our flight path to be just above the surface of the water. I said to Ghost 4 and Alpha 1, "Standby on the guns. When I tell you, fire at will until you run out of ammunition." In unison, they replied, "Yes sir." I glanced over at the mercenaries on the bridge as we passed them. I realized that something was off. They were not headed away from the airport or even guarding the bridge. Instead, they were all rushing towards the airport. I did not have time to grasp the significance of the observation before we finally arrived at the airport. I yelled at the Replicas, "Spin them up." The whirring of the miniguns as their iconic barrels spun was loud enough to be heard even over the roar of the rotor blades. We arrived at the runway with the C-130 to our left. All around, I saw ATC soldiers but strangely, they ignored us at first as if they were focusing on a more serious threat. I decided that it was time to change that. With difficulty because of the loss of pressure, I managed to bring the chopper to a hover about thirty feet above the surface of the runway. With Alpha 1 on the left turret and Ghost 4 on the right turret, I ordered, "Fire at will" There were very few things in my mind that were more beautiful than the sound of a minigun firing. If death had a soundtrack, a minigun firing was the lead guitar section.

The Replicas unleashed the Black Hawk's turrets with deadly precision. The ATC soldiers fell in clusters all around our chopper. I telepathically communicated to Alpha 1, "That C-130 does not leave the ground, understand me?" He ceased fired to conserve ammunition as he raised his turret to aim at the stationary plane. "Clip her wings soldier." I ordered in a sinister state of mind. He audibly replied, "Yes sir." He opened fire on the defenseless aircraft. The minigun made short work of the cargo plane as its overwhelming output of rounds chewed through the metal skin. Though not what I had in mind, he literally cut the wings off the plane. I shrugged and said, "Works for me. Switch fire to the ATC mercenaries." Since I was preoccupied with the plane, I failed to notice the sudden absence of my coveter and the sound of gunfire inside the airport itself. Without warning, the tone for a missile lock sounded and before I could pinpoint where the threat was coming from, a missile, fired from inside the airport, struck the Black Hawk. The bird lurched and immediately started an irreversible fiery downward spiral. As the chopper descended, a voice warned, "Altitude, Altitude." Spinning images of the instrument panel and the piercing sound of alarm tones were all I knew before the crippled helicopter crashed into the ground and rolled over to rest on its roof. The force of the crash caused me to black out.

When I regained consciousness, I was being dragged away from the wreckage. I heard noises but it took my disorientated mind a few seconds to recognize them as words being spoken to me. It was Alpha 1 and he was saying, "Hang in there sir, we are almost to cover. You are going to be okay, just stay with me." Fighting to stay conscious, my vision darkened sporadically and the next thing I knew, I was propped up against the metallic body of a large transportation crate. Alpha 1 arranged surrounding crates to form a makeshift wall before returning to my side. I numbly looked up into his cracked white ceramic mask in a daze. He grasped my shoulders tightly and shook me as he said, "Sir! You need to focus. We have enemy contacts converging on our location. Wake up sir!" Despite the splitting headache it caused me, I reoriented my senses and thoughts. Freed from my shell shock, I forced my beaten body onwards. Rising to a crouched position, I looked over the makeshift wall to see the wreckage. At first, I did not realize that something was missing but it finally dawned on me that both Alma and Ghost 4 were not with us. Studying the wreckage more intently, I saw the prostrate body of the Replica sniper. His body was pinned underneath a broken section of the fuselage and he did not appear to be moving. I panicked as I realized that the content of a nearby ruptured tank that was being used to store aviation fuel was approaching the sparking instrument panel of the Black Hawk. I only had time to scream, "Ghost!" before the fuel ignited and the helicopter was consumed by flames.

Rage filled my mind as I stared at the flaming chopper. I was going to find the bastard responsible and liquefy the flesh right off his body. I said, "Alpha 1, form up on me. We have a mission to complete." He replied, "Yes sir. Here…" He handed me my assault rifle. I took it from him, but stopped before I started to advance when I saw the suppressor. No, I wanted everyone to hear me so they would know who killed them just before their life slipped away. After forcefully removing the attachment, I threw it into the fire as I stood. I said, "Fuck covert. Go loud." He replied with a disturbing calm murderous voice, "Let's get them sir." I heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being pumped and realized that he must have secretly brought along his automatic shotgun. Going around the flaming wreck, we made our way to the airport's terminal building to confront the individual responsible for killing our squad member and to locate the Delta Force operative.

As we neared the door that allowed access to the main lobby of the airport, three ATC mercenaries burst through the door and ran towards us with their heads and torsos turned so they could look behind them. Not even bothering with my reflexes, I gunned down the first man with a burst. Alpha 1 blasted the second man's head into pieces with a round from his shotgun. The third one had time to turn around and when he saw us approaching him, he fell to his knees before us. He was unarmed having apparently dropped his weapon in his attempt to flee. He raised his hands up in surrender as he begged, "Please, don't kill me. I surrender okay? Just please let me go. Please, I have a family." I looked at him with disgust. He was pathetic for using his family as a bargaining chip. Transferring my rifle to my left hand, I drew my pistol from its holster with my right hand. I placed the end of the muzzle against the man's forehead and fired a single round. As I was holstering my sidearm, I remarked to the dead man, "I have one now too." Returning to holding my rifle with both hands, I continued towards the door.

As we reached it, I observed the aftermath of an intense firefight. ATC mercenary bodies were littering the floor, weapons laid uselessly nearby their deceased former masters, signs of shrapnel grenades peppered the walls, and blood splatters coated various surfaces. I did not see the perpetrator or perpetrators that caused the bloodbath from my vantage point however. Cautiously, I proceeded through the doorway with my assault rifle at the ready. Alpha 1 followed close behind in the same manner. In the center of the lobby, I saw a strange looking tall glass box that vaguely resembled an old fashion telephone booth. I grimaced at the sight of the unusual item and said aloud, "This must have been what they were transporting Holiday in. Damn, I do not envy the poor bastards that are put in one of those things. I already have enough problems with claustrophobia. I would probably lose my mind and turn into an asshole if I were held in there. If I was held in that and for some reason someone found me…shit, they would have my permission to put me out of my misery. Not that I would make it easy on them though, of course. I don't plan on dying without a fight." I shook my head to clear away my darkening thoughts before I said in irritation, "Well, that's just great. Now we have to play hide and go seek in a shot up airport in the middle of a shithole. Wonderful! What else could possibly happen to make my day more exciting?"

Just as I finished my sentence, alarm bells went off in my head. I was too late to prevent a large, built, masked man from knocking my assault rifle out of my grasp with the butt of his G2A2 assault rifle. Instinctively, my reflexes activated. I punched the man in his face with my right fist and followed up with a shoulder charge. My charge succeeded, resulting in me sending the man forcefully up against the unusual glass prison. While I had him pinned, I attacked his right hand. I managed to disarm him and sent his assault rifle sliding across the floor. Alpha 1 started to make his way over to assist me but he too was ambushed by an assailant. I was caught off guard by a swift knee strike into my lower torso. I momentarily lost my footing and he was able to force me backwards. I went to begin a counter attack but to my amazement, his movements managed to match my own in speed. Whoever he was, he had enhanced reflexes too.

He dodged my right punch and sent a roundhouse kick into my chest. The blow staggered me but I recovered in time to deflect his left punch. After I deflected his attack, I punched him in rapid succession in his chest. While he was briefly stunned from being winded, I went behind him and tried to perform a neck breaker. However, as I started to twist, he lunged backwards. I grunted in pain as my back collided with the glass chamber hard enough to crack the panel. He tried to repeat the move but I was able to move out of the way. I tried to shoulder charge him again but this time, he absorbed the attack. He pushed me backwards about a foot. Now that we were sufficiently separated, I drew my sidearm and aimed it at his head. I was startled to see that we had both done the exact same thing literally simultaneously except I was wielding my ACM46 pistol and he was wielding an AT-14 pistol. As my finger started to squeeze the trigger, Alma suddenly materialized between us as she screamed, "No! Stop both of you!" I immediately lowered my sidearm and asked in confusion, "Alma? What is going on here? Who the hell is this?" I looked back at the man. Now that we were not locked in a death match, I could see the body armor he was wearing and that combined with his enhanced reflexes made the answer obvious. I holstered my pistol as I answered my own question, "Oh, I see, your son. The one they call Point Man. Wait that means…" I turned my attention to the other pair. Alpha 1 had his left boot on top of Holiday's throat and held his shotgun dead steady just inches from the Delta Force operative's face. Quickly, I ordered him, "Stand down Alpha 1. They are both friendlies."

The trooper replied, "Yes sir." He removed his left foot and stepped back from the man. He helped Holiday to his feet before walking over to where my rifle laid on the floor. After picking up my assault rifle, he walked over to me. He said, "Your weapon sir." I retrieved my assault rifle and we both turned our attention back to the mother and son. Alma glanced at Point Man then at me back and forth for a few tense moments. Our bond allowed her to know the source of my hostility. She stepped over to me and pleaded, "Please Michael, he is my son." I retorted back in anger, "He shot the Black Hawk down. He killed Ghost 4 and nearly killed Alpha and me. Not to mention the fact that he is the reason that I am in this fucked up situation. Aristide turned my team into monsters just because of him!" Alma nodded but said, "Yes, but it is not his fault. He is just as much of a victim as you are. Just, please…for me?" I sighed and replied, "Fine, for you." The sound of approaching ATC forces interrupted us and I said, "Take a rain check on the family reunion. Let's get the Hell out of here."

A.N: Long chapter right? Sorry about that. I have college again soon so I am trying to make as much progress as I can before then. The fight between Becket and Point Man was just something that I have wanted to do for a long time. The point was that it was a draw. I am not claiming that one is better than the other. I think that they are both badass. To those who want to poke holes in the flying parts, I am well aware of how complicated Black Hawks are and how difficult they are to operate. They are space shuttles compared to civilian helicopters and even most military choppers. For the sake of simplicity, I made it so Becket could pilot one by himself. Also, I may have exaggerated their maneuvering capabilities just a little bit. I hope my story is worth the chapter lengths.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch.8

A.N.: Yep, it's another long chapter. Like I said: college. I start back next week and I cannot promise a steady updating schedule like I have managed to do so far. I can promise that I will continue to work on this even as my workload piles on. Unless, of course, if my grades start to go down. In that case, I will be working on this sporadically. Okay, moving on. Ahem Okay so a bit of a heads up. In this chapter, there is a (somewhat forced) intimate moment between Becket and Alma. It is a…what is it called…lemon? Just an intimate dominating moment that leads to one of the character's submission to the other. It was so outside my writing experience that I don't know if I was too descriptive or not enough.

Alpha 1 and I started towards the rear exit of the lobby. We needed to put as much ground between the incoming ATC mercenaries and us as we could. In the back of my mind, I worried that we had inadvertently boxed ourselves into a corner. If we had, an airport was a bizarre place for a final stand. The two pairs of booted footsteps behind us informed me that Point Man and Holiday had decided to follow us. I idly wondered which one of us Alma would now follow. She had been with me up until a few minutes prior but now that she had her first son back, I had my doubts that she would pay me any attention. After all, I was just a distraction to draw Alma's attention away from Point Man so ATC could reprogram him. I cringed as I realized I was jealous of the way she looked at him. My own mother had never looked at me like that. In my mind, I heard Alma say, "Don't be jealous. I love you both." I replied through our bond, "Right…" I spoke into my com link, "Manny, I was shot down but I have located Holiday and Point Man. We have one confirmed casualty: Ghost 4. We are currently attempting to escape from the remnants of the ATC troops that are in the area. What can you tell me from your end?"

Morales replied, "Damn, that was fast. Anyway, from the way they are talking on their com links, I think you cut the head off the snake for now. The command structure is in complete chaos. I doubt that will last for long, but if you can escape the general area of the airport, ATC is in no condition to pursue you. They are too disorganized to do very much. By the way, that woman you mentioned reached the safe house. She is going over blueprints to see if there is a less direct route for your escape. Hold up, I think she has…" He was cut off as the female F.E.A.R. operative said, "It's great to know that you two are okay. These two Delta Force operatives have an entire Replica force behind them. We can expose ATC's crimes…" Morales interrupted, "Never mind, she does not seem to have anything useful to add." Holiday asked, "Jin? You are alive? We thought you had died in the crash." She replied, "I am fine. Are you two alright?" Holiday answered, "Never better." Irritated, I snapped, "Flirt with your girlfriend later. Miss Kwon, do you have anything to report as to an exit that keeps us from wading through the mercs?" She replied, "No and the bridge seems to be the only road that connects the airport to the rest of Fairport." I asked after a moment of thinking, "Is there a shuttle service for the airport?" Confused, she responded, "Yes, or there was one." I said, "Thank you Miss Kwon. Manny, keep me posted on ATC forces and especially on their heavy armor and air cover." Morales replied, "You got it man. Good luck."

I stopped at a map of the building that informed the civilians of the locations of various services. As I looked over the map, beside me Holiday inquired, "So, who are you…Sergeant?" Without looking away from the diagram, I replied, "Sergeant Becket. Member of Dark Signal." I located what I was looking for and proceeded towards my objective. As we made our way towards our destination, Holiday continued his questions, "Dark Signal? You guys were diverted to Aristide's penthouse." I muttered back as I was trying to orient myself, "Yeah, we were. Look, introductions can wait." If my bearings were correct, the depot was close by. In retrospect, it made sense that it would be because it would be more convenient for arriving and departing passengers if the depot was located near the main lobby. Alma asked, "Where are we going?" I looked at her as I explained, "Most airports have some form of shuttle service that is either owned by them or is another company that they have an agreement with. It is mostly just to kiss their customers' ass but there is some revenue in it. Anyway, if we are lucky, there might be a shuttle nearby the depot." She raised her right eyebrow before she said, "That is your great plan? A shuttle bus?" I replied defensively, "Hey, I don't hear you coming up with anything." She pointed both hands at herself as she said, "I can rematerialize in different locations. Why do we have to do things your way?" I argued, "Because my way is what nature intended." She huffed and shook her head. After a few moments, she relented and said, "Fine, go ahead and take the fun out of it."

Alpha 1 said, "Sir, we should keep moving." I nodded and started towards the depot. My com link activated and Morales said, "Becket, get out of there! ATC has scrambled a flight of F-22's to level the entire area of the airport. You have exactly four minutes to get out of there. Move your ass now!" I replied, "Working on it." I yelled aloud, "Double time!" I started running and they followed me. The heavy thud of combat boots and shifting of body armor filled the air as we ran through the ornate corridors. Behind me, Holiday asked, "Where is it?" As we approached another fork in the path, I nearly went the wrong way. Over the squeal of the rubber treads of my boots as I rapidly turned in the other direction, I yelled, "Shit, to the right! Hurry, it is just ahead. Time?" Alpha 1 replied, "Three minutes, ten seconds." I quickened my pace. I collided with the door leading to the exterior of the building, sending it backwards. I fell on top of it as it landed on the concrete floor of the depot. Scrambling to my feet, I nearly cried out in relief as I saw the parked shuttle. It was a passenger model of a full-sized van. It was white except for the large black letters that spelled out, "Port Authority Airport Shuttle Service" along the side of the vehicle. As I neared the driver side door, I saw the bullet holes on the front glass and when I reached the door, I saw the slumped body of a dead masked Delta Force operative in the driver's seat. I opened the door, extracted the body, and gently laid it down onto the ground. I respectfully removed and pocketed his dog tags so I could give his family closure as soon as I could. Armacham was certainly never going to extend the same courtesy to their victims' family. In the body's right hand, still locked in a death grip, I saw what appeared to be an ignition key. With some difficulty, I managed to remove the key from the vice like grip. After I stood, I saluted my fallen brother before I climbed into the blood soaked driver's seat.

I inserted the key into the slot on the steering column and twisted it forward. Luck was on my side and the vehicle's V8 engine turned over. As it clattered at an idle, I waited for everyone else to board. Alpha 1 was the last one to sit down in the back and he closed the sliding door. Alma materialized in the seat next to me. With her usual unsettling smile, she gazed up at me. She raised her left hand up to the radio. As I shook my head in disbelief, she activated the radio. I remarked, "You can't be serious." As I did, the haunting melody of her music box began to pipe through the shuttle's speakers. She gave me a questioning look as I sighed. I said, "Not really driving music but okay." I buckled my seat belt before pressing in on the brake and shifting the transmission into drive. Alpha 1 reported, "One minute forty seconds." I pressed the accelerator to the floor. With a burnout, the van began moving forward. The engine roared as the speedometer reached twenty miles per hour. As we neared the first corner, three ATC mercenaries appeared and began firing. Their submachine guns had little trouble in penetrating the thin skin of the van. However, the van was moving so fast that the three men only had a small window of opportunity before I ran them over. Blood splattered onto the windshield and onto the hood. I drifted the van through the turn and five men were waiting on us about ten yards away. They were taking cover on top of an overturned fuel truck. I ducked down below the dashboard to avoid being struck by the hail of bullets that impacted the van in the seconds that it took to pass the tanker. Pushing the van well past its designed limits, I accelerated to forty miles per hour and used the emergency brake to drift through the tight turns of the maze surrounding the airport. A near constant bombardment of enemy gunfire filled the air like lead rain.

Finally, as white smoke started billowing out from the engine compartment, the main road that ran across the bridge came into sight. I drove through the closed metal gate that prevented access to the airport and entered the surface street. We were still not far enough away from the airport to escape the incoming bombing run. We would have to make it to at least the halfway point of the bridge to escape the initial bombardment. Even then, there was no guarantee of safety. It would all depend on timing and the ordnance that was used. I knew better than to expect traditional ordnance. Armacham was going to throw everything at us that they could. As we approached the entrance to the bridge, I saw a defensive line of about thirty ATC soldiers behind riot barricades and at the center of their formation was a new version of Elite Power Armor that I had never seen before. I looked more advanced than the Replica model I had piloted on my journey to Still Island. I panicked, as I knew the van was completely out of the armored war machine's league. We were about fifty yards away from the entrance with no time to maneuver or find an alternate route. Almost as if out of thin air, a barrage of missiles rained down on the ATC Power Armor from the left. The walking tank did not explode but I saw the pilot eject from it as it went into repair mode. Puzzled, I risked a quick glance to my left to learn the identity of the guardian. In the brief second that I had, the general design of the helicopter gave away its identity: a Hind D Gunship. It hovered briefly before beginning to strafe the vulnerable ATC mercenaries with its nose mounted 12.7mm rotary cannon. It passed over us as it strafed the men from left to right and barely cleared the top of the van by inches.

With their defensive line effectively neutralized, the surviving mercenaries scattered out of our way as I bulldozed through the riot barriers and entered the bridge. As the Cold War veteran kept pace with us, my com link activated and I heard the unmistakable robotic tone of a Replica say, "Yankee 2 reporting for close air support, sir." I replied, "Copy that Yankee 2. Keep up the fire." Yankee 2 responded, "Yes sir." With the Replica gunship clearing a path for our escape, I pushed the bullet hole ridded van to seventy miles per hour. The damaged engine loudly protested the exertion but I kept the pace. When the pilot reported again, I knew we had run out of time. "Sir, hostile aircraft have entered our airspace." I ordered, "Do not engage Yankee 2. Continue close air support." The pilot responded, "Yes sir." I pushed the engine dangerously close to red lining and the speedometer reached a suicidal eighty miles per hour. One miscalculation on my part and we, with the exception of Alma, would be dead before we knew what was happening. I heard the roar of jet engines just seconds before an ear-shattering explosion rocked the air. Ground-shaking tremors quickly accompanied the explosion and were so violent that I nearly lost control of the vehicle. In the rear view mirror, I saw a huge rolling fireball about ten stories tall engulf the airport. I wondered aloud, "Holy shit, what the Hell was that?" Yankee 2 reported, "They are coming around and are headed straight for you, sir." I ordered, "Break off Yankee 2. They are after me, not you. Get to a safe distance." The pilot replied, "But, sir…" I interrupted him by saying, "That is an order Yankee 2." As the helicopter banked off to the right, the pilot responded, "Yes sir."

Moments later, I heard the roar of jet engines approaching. We were nearly at the end of the bridge and it became a race to see who would reach the end first. I pushed the V8 engine into the red line. The temperature gauge rapidly went to the right as the engine threatened to blow. By dumb luck, the engine blew just as we crossed the bridge. Despite my best efforts to control the dead machine, I could not prevent the van from colliding with the side of a building with the driver's side corner. Newton's First Law of Motion reared its ugly head as the van continued on through the wall before stopping about a quarter of the way through. I blacked out from the force of the crash.

"Daddy?" The soft innocent voice caused me to open my eyes. The delicate young girl's face greeted me as I did. I was on my back and above us, I saw a clear blue sky. I rose to my feet and realized that I was back in the green meadow. A gentle tug on my left arm caused me to look back down at the child. She smiled happily at me before she asked, "Push me?" She pointed at the swing attached to the nearby tree. Still somewhat uncomfortable, I replied, "Sure, why not?" I followed her as she made her way to the swing. She occasionally spun as if she was dancing to a song that only she could hear. We reached the swing and she sat down. I waited until she situated herself and grasped the two coils of rope that attached the seat to the tree branch. Then, I gently pushed her forward. As she went higher and higher with each push, she laughed with excitement. I could not help but smile at her enjoyment. As she enjoyed herself, she asked, "Why don't you have any memories of being on a swing?" I replied calmly, "Because I never had a childhood." Puzzled, she asked, "So you are like Mommy?" I hesitated as I grasped the concept of being categorized with the twisted goddess of death and hatred. After a few moments, I replied, "Sort of. Both of our fathers were mean to us. The monsters did bad things to us when we were children and then later when we were older."

She seemed to be satisfied and we continued on in silence for a while. Finally, she stopped kicking with her legs and her cycles got slower and slower. After she had slowed enough, I stopped her by grabbing the coils of rope. She looked back up at me over her right shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her and carefully lowered her to the ground. She turned around to look at me. I felt a stab of guilt for ever hating such a beautiful child. I had envisioned a monster but she really did seem like a real little girl. I could see the staggering intelligence in her eyes as well as the immense power she possessed. I had no doubt that in the wrong hands, she could easily be a lethal weapon. Perhaps, it was in the best interest of everyone else that I ensured that she would never have a reason to unleash her power onto the world like her mother. One Alma was bad enough. Two would be incomprehensibly devastating. Besides, I had never been one to question providence. Furthermore, I did not want to be one of those deadbeats that do not accept the responsibility of having a child. I bent down and hugged the fragile little girl. She wrapped her arms around my neck and rubbed her head against the front of my vest. She whispered, "I love you Daddy." I whispered back, "I love you too."

"Michael? Wake up." I groaned as I regained consciousness. At first, all I saw was white, but I realized that it was the airbag. I leaned back up against the seat and took a minute to collect myself. I heard Alma say, "Michael? You're okay." I muttered, "Yeah, bummer." Louder, I said, "Sound off." Alpha 1 said, "Alpha 1 here sir." Holiday said, "I'm good Sergeant. So is Point Man." I smiled weakly before I said, "Great, we are all alive then. Or close enough. Come on, let's get moving before any search parties find us." I unstrapped myself and turned sideways before kicking open the driver side door. I slid out of the seat and turned around to retrieve my rifle. After I retrieved it, I turned around and headed out of the large hole that the van had created. Ash still rained down from the sky and a thin coat of soot now blanketed the silent street like snow. I looked back towards the bridge but saw that it was gone. Only the support columns protruding from the surface of the water remained to indicate that a structure had once been located there. In disbelief, I said aloud, "Damn, good thing we got off that thing when we did." Beside me, Alma asked, "Why didn't the ATC soldiers try to escape like us?" I replied darkly, "They probably weren't told about the bomb run." Before she could reply, I heard a familiar engine rumble towards us.

Within a minute, the Dark Signal APC pulled up to our location and stopped. Gamma 3 exited the vehicle and approached us with his assault rifle raised and searching for possible threats. With a laugh, Morales exited the vehicle as well. He pointed at me and said, "Well, now isn't this a coincidence? I am out for a little morning ride and right in the middle of nowhere, I bump into Sergeant Becket himself." I laughed sarcastically in a tired tone at his Wild Wild West reference. His joking mannerisms disappeared when he got a better look at me. With almost brotherly concern evident in his voice and in his facial expression, he remarked, "Damn man, you look like hammered shit. How the fuck are you still standing?" He gently placed his right arm under my left shoulder and guided me towards our APC as he said, "Come on, let's get you guys back to the safe house." My legs wobbled and threatened to give out but I felt Alpha 1 support my right shoulder. Both men helped me into the APC and slowly lowered me into my usual seat. Morales looked at me and quietly asked, "Geez, what the Hell are you putting yourself through Becket?" I lacked the energy to respond and he simply shook his head before returning to the driver's seat. Alpha 1 knelt down in front of me and raised a small flashlight with his left hand. He requested me, "Sir, follow the light with your eyes." I managed to complete the action and he lowered the flashlight. He said, "Remarkable, you don't show any signs of a concussion. You should be fine until we can get back to the safe house." He sat down in the seat to my left and held his automatic shotgun between his legs with the barrel pointed towards the roof of the vehicle. Holiday sat in the seat that Griffin had been sitting in, Point Man sat in the seat that Redd had been sitting in, and Gamma 3 sat down in the seat that Stokes had been sitting in. As the door closed, Alma materialized in the seat to my right and leaned against my right arm. I noticed Point Man observing her behavior before looking at me as if he was studying me.

Morales started driving the APC towards the safe house. After several minutes, Point Man finally shook his head and looked away from me. I was too exhausted to care. I passed in and out of consciousness as the APC transported us to the safe house. I must have finally given into my fatigue because when Alma woke me up, everyone was exiting the APC. I heard a huge commotion as Jin greeted her teammates. Groaning, I hauled myself to my feet and exited the vehicle. Jin had surrounded herself with the two men and was conversing with Holiday about what had happened after the crash. Morales had returned to sitting in front of the laptop and Alpha 1 had cleared off a space and was servicing his shotgun. Holiday's voice drew me back to the three newcomers and I asked, "What?" He repeated, "I think it is time for those introductions." After an in depth explanation of the events that had transpired during my squad's ill-fated mission, I awaited the inevitable barrage of questions. Holiday asked, "So what happened to Aristide?" I replied, "We tracked her down. She was hiding out in an auxiliary facility for Project Paragon. After we eliminated an ATC kill team, we infiltrated the facility. We apprehended her and made her give us all the information for taking down ATC that we could ever need. Then, we killed her." Jin gasped at my last statement. I simply shrugged and said, "I don't need to explain myself to any of you. As far as I am concerned, the bitch had it coming." I continued and explained the situation with the Replicas, the Board of Directors, and how I had ended up at the airport.

Jin asked, "So, Alma is pregnant. She raped you after killing most of your squad. Now, you are…helping…her?" Irritated by her tone, I remarked, "You know, if I talked like that, I could make you the bad guy too." She looked at me in disbelief as she tried to think of what to say next. Calming myself, I said, "Look, I know how absurd this all sounds, but there are more important things happening right now. ATC has had its skirt pulled up and a select group of people, namely us, has seen what color her panties are. We will all be hunted down like animals unless we can take them down first. Our superiors have abandoned us and our own government will probably deny that we ever existed. We are already walking dead in the world's eyes. Now, if any of you want to take your chances, there is the door. I wish the best of luck for you. Just know that even if you escape the quarantine zone, you are going to be living the rest of your life alone, on the run, and constantly looking over your shoulder. Me on the other hand, I am making my stand here and even if it kills me, I am going to take that company down. So, what's it going to be?"

Jin eyed the door as if she was seriously considering leaving. Holiday rubbed his eyes as he said, "I knew I should have called in sick. Just call in sick. That is all I would have had to do. I could be at home right now watching this on the news." Meanwhile, Point Man seemed completely unmoved by any of the information he had just heard. I wondered if there was anything to him other than just a killer. He reminded me a bit of the Replicas: cold, devoid of any real emotions, completely ruthless in combat, and existing only to carry out his master's orders. Those qualities made him seem like the perfect soldier on paper. However, sometimes, a human touch is required. Finally, Jin asked me, "Becket, are you really going to let the world burn for that…thing? That monster? Also, for whatever it is that is growing inside of her?" I replied, "If that is how things turn out, then yes. I am. Maybe you should get a better understanding of things before you cast your judgment. Fire can destroy, but it also can create new life. Good or evil, it all depends on your point of view." She was speechless for a moment before she said with what I could have sworn was sympathy in her voice, "You fool, can't you see what she is doing to you? Listen to yourself, that is not you Sergeant. That is what she is turning you into."

The more I listened to her, the more the black mass inside my mind broke free from my control. I felt a powerful, almost irresistible urge to kill the woman. I began seeing hallucinations of her dead, bloodied corpse sprawled out on the floor. Though I could not remember doing it, I suddenly felt my right hand firmly grasping my pistol in its holster. In my peripheral vision, I saw that Alpha 1 had reassembled his shotgun and was silently loading his weapon so he could assist me should I follow through with my urge. I also noticed that Morales was doing the same thing with his assault rifle. I fought to contain the urge but it proved to be nearly impossible. With undesirable difficulty, I managed to calm my thoughts and released my grip on my pistol. I said, "Don't you dare talk to me like that again. You don't know me so don't pretend to understand how I feel about certain things. Get in my way, and I will gun you down. Do we understand each other Miss Kwon?" The F.E.A.R. operative's eyes were narrowed and her lips were drawn tout as she tried to hide her fear from me. I could see it emitting from her short frame almost like a glowing cloud that surrounded her. Finally, she said, "Yes, we understand each other perfectly." I smiled darkly before I said, "Good. Now, I am going to get some rest. Stay or leave, the choice is yours."

I turned around and walked back into the APC. I closed the hatch and slumped against the middle seat on the left side of the compartment. Exhaustion hit me immediately and I was barely able to summon the energy to move my head to look around. Alma materialized before me and I instantly realized that she was up to something. Her child form smirked at me and I finally managed to ask in a barely audible voice, "What are you going to do?" She continued to smirk at me except her child form morphed into her healthy adult form. In a shaky voice, I said, "No. Get away from me!" I tried to escape from her but I simply lacked any energy to do so. My normal energy reserves had long since been depleted and whatever lifesaving adrenaline was in my body had been used up over the course of the past several hours. With my body's last line of defense gone and with my mental defenses worn out, I was completely at her mercy. She had forgone wearing the red dress that she had been wearing before and stalked towards me in her nude form. I croaked out as loud as I could, "Manny, Alpha, somebody…h-help!" As she lowered herself down on top of me, she whispered, "No one can hear us. Don't be afraid Michael, I won't hurt you."

I started to whimper as she straddled my waist, but she quietly shushed me like a mother would do to her baby. She closed the distance between us until our noses where nearly touching. Her frigid breath wafted against my face and I tried to turn my head away as I whispered, "Please, Alma. Don't. I will do anything you ask, just please don't…" She shushed me quietly again as her soft left hand guided my head back so I was gazing into her beautiful eyes. Desperately, I pleaded, "Get off me. I don't want this." I tried to push her off with my hands but I had no strength left at all. She smiled as her hands grasped my left hand. I was about to ask what she was doing but I heard the sound of a Velcro strap being undone. As the feeling of warm, dry air assaulted my left hand, I realized that she had taken off the protective glove. She repeated the process with my right hand. She inched her body up against mine and had now effectively pinned me against the wall. With the heat given off from the recently used machine warming my back and her cold body cooling the front of my body, my nerves were in a tailspin. She leaned forward and whispered into my right ear with a soft, inviting tone, "Touch me." I softly whimpered, "No." Her hands grasped mine and raised them up. She whispered, "Don't be afraid. My body is yours just like yours is mine."

Her hands lightly pressed mine into the smooth, frigid flesh of the sides of her abdomen. I had to suppress the moan resulting from the euphoric feeling I got from just feeling her skin with my bare hands. Her hands guided mine slowly upwards before releasing them from her grasp. I tried to stop but my body betrayed me and my hands continued their exploration of the goddess's well-toned body. She raised her hands up around the back of my head and neck. Before I could plead with her to stop, she gently pulled me into her and our lips met. In that instant, my thoughts were torn asunder and my mind was left in a daze as it tried to make sense of what it was feeling. Just as my mind nearly fought its way through the fog and my thoughts returned to normal, she retracted for a brief second before descending upon me again. This time, she kissed me deeply and all rational thought left me as her tongue intruded into my mouth. As she continued the kiss, she started moaning into me and pulled me into her as tightly as she could. Her shapely legs wrapped around my waist and the protruding result of her efforts rubbed against her womanhood through the material of my uniform's pants. She moaned louder and started to thrust her hips more and more to intensify the feedback she felt. I was too much in a state of complete stimulant overload as my mind drowned in a sea of ecstasy to either push her away or take part. The overwhelming physical feedback that I was flooded with combined with the intense psychic feedback bouncing back and forth between us through our bond quickly proved too much for me to handle. Within twenty seconds, I suddenly pulled her in closer with the last ounce of strength I had left in my arms as I reached release. She made a satisfied moan but, as if to completely ensure my submission, she continued. For nearly a minute, she held us together before she finally relented and leaned back from my shaking form.

She gazed down at me and smiled before she asked, "Mine?" I numbly nodded and she quickly leaned in and kissed me briefly. She retracted from my body and started to lower herself onto her back on the seat next to me. I stood so she could stretch out on top of the row of seats. After she had comfortably positioned herself, she raised her left hand up and grasped my right hand. She guided me down to lie on top of her. I lied prostrate on top of her and ended up resting my head just above her developed chest. Before I could say or do anything, she started humming softly. My beaten and overstimulated body gave no resistance to her siren melody and I feel asleep.

A.N.: Please don't kill me. I just wanted to go ahead and get that out of the way. There will be more but they will be more of…implied or small events. This is the big, "corrupting" one. It is Alma Wade okay? It was going to happen.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch.9

A.N: If you were all disappointed by the lemon, here is why. Thanks to my reviewer. I already had an idea like yours haha. So, thanks for telling me because I thought my idea was dumb which is why I cut the last chapter off when I did. Also, to said reviewer, your reviews are awesome haha. Becket is slowly going crazy…so I am trying to show how his mind is playing tricks on him. The Alpha 1 thing in this chapter…come on, there just has to be one Replica like him. I have a problem with getting too attached to characters, okay? Don't judge me. Thanks to everyone reading, following, reviewing, and favoring. I appreciate it.

"Michael! Wake up! Come on wake up!" I opened my eyes to see her frantic face inches from mine. Rage filled me and I threw her off me as I yelled, "You bitch! I knew I should not have trusted you!" She collided against the row of seats opposite of me. My joints protested as I stood and raised my pistol at her. Her child form stared in fright at my outburst. She asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do?" I snarled at her, "Shut the fuck up! You know exactly what you did! I should have expected that you would try something like that when I was too tired to fight back." She cocked her head to the right and, realizing what she was about to do, I said, "No, get out of my head!" It was too late and I felt her rifling through my memories. The feeling left and she raised her left eyebrow briefly before she said calmly, "Michael, calm down." I snapped, "Calm down? Calm down! Fuck you!" I kept my pistol aimed at her and slowly made my way towards the door. She dissolved into a cloud of ash, but I knew where she was about to rematerialize. I swiveled around to look behind me but she was already there.

I backed away as I was attempting to telepathically contact Alpha 1 and Gamma 3 for backup. Just as I was able to contact them, a nauseating pain erupted in my head and I stopped. Clutching the sides of my head, I lost my footing and fell backwards onto the unforgiving metal floor of the APC. Alma rushed to be by my side and knelt down. My pain disappeared as quickly as it had afflicted me. Alma was on the verge of crying as she said, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that just yet. Please, Michael just listen to me." I started to push her away but stopped when I noticed for the first time since I woke up that my gloves were still on my hands. She nodded and said, "See? That is what I have been trying to tell you. It was a dream. You fell asleep as soon as you sat down in your seat. You have been asleep for almost a day and a half. I was trying to wake you up because I was worried." I hauled myself up to a sitting position and holstered my pistol. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gently hugged me. As I tried to make sense of what had happened, I remembered Keegan and it all made sense. The man was suffering from Alma's presence before I was due to his close attunement with Alma's signature. His mental instability did the rest and I ended up having to mercy kill him when Alma trapped me in her world while she was raping me.

Still shaken, I asked her, "How long do I have? I am not going to let myself become Keegan." She looked at me for a moment and started to say something but was interrupted when Manny opened the hatch. His usual lighthearted demeanor was replaced by worry and panic. I stood and asked, "What is it? What happened?" He said, "Becket, we are in serious shit right now. Come look." He motioned for me to follow him and walked away. Concerned, I exited the APC. Everyone, including the F.E.A.R. team, was looking up at the large monitor. He pointed up at the screen and I looked up at it. On the screen, a news report was broadcasting. ATC guards at what appeared to be the harbor of the city surrounded a middle-aged blonde woman in formal attire. She spoke into her microphone as she pointed behind her. "…so far no information about the identities of the individuals responsible for the murder of Armacham Technology Corporation's Chief of Operations has been disclosed. However, a high-ranking ATC soldier commented that it is likely that they are members of the terrorist organization that is occupying the city. This organization has been credited with the devastating explosion that occurred a few days ago. As well as the disappearance of Armacham's President Genevieve Aristide and the massacring of innocent civilians. How the explosion was done has yet to be revealed and is anyone's guess at this point."

A man asked the woman from off-screen, "Now there are reports that National Guard troops were deployed to the area as part of a disaster relief operation. What can you tell us about that?" The woman nodded her head before she said, "Yes, National Guard troops were deployed and they set up evacuation centers at various locations around the city. However, they pulled out when ATC officials alerted them that the explosion quote: contaminated the city. However, they did not elaborate on what exactly the explosion did." Behind her, an APC drove past presumably headed towards the main gate. The same man asked, "We are receiving unconfirmed reports that the U.S. Military is somehow involved with the situation and may even have various Special Forces operating inside the quarantine zone. Do you know anything about that Melissa?" The woman replied, "Well Tom, I have heard some of the men here talking amongst each other about something called F.E.A.R. but when I approached them with questions, they refused to talk about it. In addition, I keep hearing the words Delta Force, but again, no one has agreed to talk about it. Military liaisons have adamantly denied any active involvement. However, they have reported that the U.S. Military has agreed to a partnership with ATC to resolve this crisis." The man asked, "ATC has reported that they have deployed a new wave of reinforcements to aid the struggling units that they deployed earlier this week. Have you seen any of those yet?"

After waiting for yet another APC to pass, the woman replied, "Yes…" She paused and addressed her either her camera operator or someone else, "Do we still have the footage?" Someone said something but the camera's microphone could not pick up what exactly it was. She nodded and said, "Well play it." She looked back at the camera and said into her microphone, "Earlier this morning, we were flying above the harbor and spotted several large ships in the mouth of the channel…" The screen changed to a recorded video. I was shocked by what I saw. The woman continued as the video played, "What appear to be a full sized nuclear aircraft carrier, at least five supporting frigates, and possibly a nuclear submarine have taken position in the harbor." The screen went back to a live broadcast of the woman. She continued, "The frigates have offloaded at least six battalions of their troops and numerous pieces of equipment with around five battalions on standby. ATC officials announced that they want to assure everyone that the aircraft carrier is simply here to establish air superiority and the submarine is only going to be used as a last resort. They said that this display of power is hopefully going to persuade the terrorists to surrender peacefully and that further bloodshed can be avoided." The woman paused and then said, "I will update as I learn more. Back to you Tom." The image on the screen became a middle-aged Caucasian man sitting behind a desk at a major news agency. He said, "That was Melissa King reporting live from the city of Fairport. The nation is still reeling from what has been dubbed the Fairport Crisis and we will continue to bring you updates as soon as we get them. In related news, President…"

I turned away from the screen and thought through our options. Aloud, I said, "Shit, shit, shit. No fucking way the Replicas can stand up to that large of a force in a straight up fight. I can't believe that ATC rallied that quickly." I paused and turned back to see that everyone was looking at me. I looked at them for a moment before asking, "What?" Holiday replied, "So Mr. Super Soldier, what brilliant plan do you have for this?" Stunned, I replied, "Wait, you are all expecting me to know what to do? Geez people, I am only a foot soldier. I have been making shit up as I go. Jin, Point Man, you two are the specialists here. Why don't you come up with something?" As usual, Point Man remained silent as he looked at me. Jin shook her head and then said, "I am just a technical officer. I don't have much combat experience." I said, "Right…hmm." I thought about what to do. At first, I felt overwhelmed but then I remembered what my Delta Force mentor had told me repeatedly. I said aloud, "React, adapt, and overcome. The difference between a professional and an amateur is their proficiency with those three things." I paced as I thought to myself and said aloud, "Step 1: Get the Replicas out of the meat grinder. Step 2: Neutralize ATC's new advantage. Step 3: Break ATC's spine." I looked at Alpha 1 and said, "Alpha 1, contact the Replica commanders. Tell them to regroup their men and to prepare for guerrilla style warfare. If they have to, I want them to retreat underground. Also, once they have their men rounded up, I want them to standby with GPS markers and turn them on only when I tell them." He nodded and started to relay my orders to his brethren. I turned to Morales and asked, "Manny, do you have a location on the submarine?" He looked at me for a moment before smiling and sat down in front of the laptop. He shook his head humorously and remarked, "Becket, you are a sick motherfucker." Confused, Holiday asked, "What the Hell are we doing?" I looked at him with a sadistic smile and replied, "Something completely underhanded." Morales said, "Becket, got it. Oh and we are in luck, the Chief of Legal Affairs and the Chief of Public Relations are onboard the carrier." He smirked as he handed me the GPS coordinates. I smirked back as I took the coordinates. I asked him, "Where are the wet suits?" He nodded towards the APC and I walked inside of it. I returned with a large container about the size of footlocker. I lowered it to the ground and opened it. Holiday examined the contents and gave me a confused look. I remarked, "Gamma 3, Alpha 1, Holiday, Morales, and Point Man. I hope you guys are up to date on your SCUBA and Combat Swimming training. We are about to get wet."

Just as night was setting in, we emerged from our concealed observation spot along an abandoned section of the harbor. We would have entered the water earlier, but the near constant patrols by ATC helicopters based from the aircraft carrier prevented us from covertly approaching the submerged submarine. Beside me, Alma asked, "Why is their submarine submerged? Are they expecting some type of attack?" I shrugged and with my voice distorted by the recently dawned rebreahter, I said, "Not quite sure. My plan should still work though." She nodded and said, "I hope this works." I sighed and remarked, "Yeah, me too." I turned to the men behind me and asked, "Green?" They all gave a thumbs up in confirmation. I rallied my nerves and silently prayed that I would live to see the next sunrise. Then, I raised my right hand. We all lined up by the water's edge. I lowered my hand and we all simultaneously entered the water.

The water of the harbor was inky black and strewn with debris. Multiple times, we were nearly shredded by a patrol boat's whirling propeller but an unnaturally thick citywide fog, curtsey of Alma, reduced the visibility on the surface to near zero. This was mainly to help the Replicas, who were purposely made immune to the fog, evade the much larger ATC force as they performed hit and run assaults against the disorientated mercenaries. The tactic was ancient but still effective at harassing the larger force and keeping the men on edge as they tried to guess where the next attack was coming from. I had also received reports from various Replica soldiers about encounters with strange people that were described as tribal and zombie like. Alma described them as being "enlightened" by her influence but I could not understand what she meant. Whoever they were, they seemed to want to aid the Replicas and joined them in harassing the ATC soldiers. They were reportedly fierce and relentless fighters. However, their religious devotion to Alma unnerved me, as I would suffer the same fate if I could not find a more effective means to resist her cannibalistic influence.

While the bulk of the new reinforcements were combing through the city in a largely futile attempt to hunt down and kill the "terrorists", we were going to sneak into their backyard and give them a rude awakening. Now, with the cloak of the fog and moonless night, we were indeed right under their noses as we swam towards the stationary submarine. Finally, after what seemed like ages, a large black shape was revealed in the narrow beam of our flashlights. Holiday and Point Man went to the forward hatch, Morales and Gamma 3 went to the coning tower, and Alpha 1 and I went to the aft hatch. After we all got into position, we waited for Gamma 3 to activate the jammer. After a minute of waiting, Gamma 3 reported, "Jammer in position sir." I said to all of them via com link, "You heard the man people. If she squawks, no one will hear her. Morales, Gamma 3, secure the control room to keep her from blowing her tanks. It is vital that no one on the surface suspects anything." Morales replied, "Relax Becket, it is me man. Besides, I have always wanted my own submarine." I replied sarcastically, "You can't keep her." He laughed and said, "Watch me." I sighed and said, "Ready…" Alpha 1 gripped the circular lever while I hovered close by. It was now or never. I said calmly, "Breach." With his inhuman strength, Alpha 1 opened the hatch. The suction force alone was enough to allow us entrance into the vessel. After we entered the flooding compartment, Alpha 1 and I overpowered the force of the water and sealed the hatch. The automated pumping system dealt with the invading volume of water. Three unarmed ATC sailors stared in shock at our sudden and rude appearance. I raised my assault rifle and dropped the first two. Alpha 1 shot the third in the back with his shotgun as the man tried to flee the compartment. In the brief moment we had before continuing our bloody trek through the vessel, I unstrapped the restrictive gear covering my face.

I remarked, "Huh, she reminds me of an Ohio-class. Damn, this ship alone probably costs about $2 billion. Man, inhumane business practices sure does pay. I can barely afford my little apartment…not that I am ever really there. Still…" I paused as a new, horrifying thought occurred to me. Alma materialized before me and smiled until she saw my concerned expression. She asked, "What? What is it? Is something wrong?" In a shaking tone, I explained, "The Ohio-class subs are called boomers. They carry Tridents…fucking nuclear warheads." Alma seemed confused and asked, "So…?" I shook my head and scowled at her before I snapped, "No Alma. Don't you dare even go there. Even you…" She interrupted me by saying, "Relax Michael. I only want revenge on those who hurt me. I am not that twisted." I smiled and remarked, "Look at you. So, there are some things that you know are wrong." She countered, "You mean like you and that little wet dream about me?" My posture stiffened briefly before I walked past her and said bitterly, "Fuck you." As I reached the bulkhead, she said, "You liked it." I shook my head, but that only caused her to laugh. She appeared beside me leaning against the bulkhead on the opposite side of the doorway with her arms crossed. I sighed and asked, "What do you want from me?"

She said, "Nothing that you don't want to give to me. I am only saying that the urges are going to get worse. Better that you relieve yourself by venting inside of my insidey parts, or even perhaps…my mouth and throat or…" She gave me a suggestive smile and I felt my member throb. She continued, "Than say, by killing that young brunette just because she said some things that you didn't like." Trying to ignore her, I reeled in my hormones before I moved into the next compartment and killed the five sailors inside of it. As I moved into the next compartment, I said in a smartass tone, "Yeah I bet you are good with your mouth when you aren't talking so damn much. I should ram it down your throat just to shut you up." She smiled as she liquefied a fleeing sailor a few inches in front of me and remarked with a tone that had a seductive edge to it, "Yes, you would like that wouldn't you? Treat the bitch that killed your friends like a worthless little slut by forcing her onto her knees and gagging her until you cum down her throat while she cries and begs you to stop." I purposely missed her head by inches as I killed an armed mercenary running up behind her. The bullets I fired passed by the right side of her face so closely that her hair fluttered like it was in a breeze. She raised her left eyebrow as her lips formed an amused grin. As I walked passed her while I was reloading my rifle, she playfully remarked, "Okay, okay. I'll stop. You are too uptight Michael. Whenever you want, my tight little orifices are all yours."

Much to my frustration, the throbbing had returned with increased intensity. As I finished reloading my weapon, a man rushed at me from the dead end side passage to my left with a small knife. Seizing the opportunity, I vented my building frustration on the man with a single, powerful psychic blast. He screamed in agony as his body started to convulse before my eyes. I watched horrified yet fascinated as his flesh dissolved and only a bloody skeleton was left lying in a large pool of blood. Alpha 1 killed the remaining men in the compartment as I stared at the remains for a moment. My little mentor studied my recent handiwork as if she was a teacher grading a test. She smiled up at me proudly and remarked encouragingly, "Excellent. You are learning very quickly. It took me years to learn how to do that. I knew you could do it if you were pushed a little." I looked at her and said, "What the Hell little game are you…" I paused as I realized what she had been doing the past few minutes and why. Sheepishly, I stated what I hoped sounded like an apology, "Thank you." She nodded but warned, "It is very draining on your mental stamina. So don't get trigger happy until you get used to it." I nodded and turned to leave, but she held her left hand out to stop me. Puzzled, I glanced down at her. She said in a serious tone, "I am serious about those urges. They will get worse. Please, just let me help you. Trust me, you don't want to end up like me. You think I like being who I am? To be a walking scourge released upon mankind because of something I had no control over? I hate being who I am." Stunned by her statements, I started to say, "Alma…" However, I was interrupted by Morales reporting, "Becket, the control room and midsection have been secured. Holiday and Point Man are on their way to the control room. Looks like most of the ATC marines are ashore. I am ready whenever you are to bring her up to launch depth." I replied, "Copy, standby."

I looked back down at her and for the second time, I could see how vulnerable and fragile she could be. I wanted to console her, but I had a mission to complete. Timidly, I said, "Alma, we have to…" She nodded and smiled bravely. I nodded and turned to face Alpha 1 at the opposite bulkhead. I made my way towards him and when I reached him, I said, "This should be the room." I entered the next compartment and saw that it was indeed the missile control room. Six armed ATC soldiers were inside and I activated my reflexes. I systematically sent a burst from my assault rifle into their heads before they even had time to raise their weapons. I deactivated my reflexes but realized too late that a Phase Commander was waiting just to the right of me. With a strong kick, he sent me backwards onto the floor. I rolled just as he shot a burst from his penetrator. Quickly standing, I raised my rifle and was about to unload on his head.

However, before I could fire, from behind, Alpha 1 jumped onto his back. As the tin soldier flailed about trying to shake off the Replica, Alpha 1 grasped the back of the cyborg's head with his left hand and his chin, or close enough, with his right. With seemingly impossible strength, Alpha 1 performed a neck breaker. The Phase Commander fell forward onto the floor. Alpha 1 stood and stomped down on the still twitching tin soldier with his left boot. Holding his automatic shotgun with only his right hand, he held the end of the shotgun's barrel against the Phase Commander's head. He unloaded his entire clip into the barely alive cyborg's armored skull. With the final shot, the Commander stopped twitching. The brute must have been paralyzed by the neck breaker because he did not self-destruct like he normally would have. Amazed and a little bit disturbed by the display of brutality, I exclaimed, "Damn Alpha! Holy shit, where did that come from?" Alpha 1 looked up at me and remarked about the Phase Commanders with a noticeable grudge, "All talk and flash. They treat all the Replicas, but especially the Heavy Troopers, like garbage sir. One slowly tortured one of my Heavy Trooper brothers to death when we were captured. I escaped but not before he made me watch him torture my brother to death." He looked back down at his slain enemy and said with a snarl, "Talk down to me now asshole!" He kicked the armored corpse with his right boot before he roared, "Yeah, how does it feel to be treated like nothing? Like it? Huh? Pathetic piece of shit!" His tone turned to one of concern as he looked back up at me and asked, "You okay sir?"

Amazed, I stammered, "Ye…yeah, I'm fine. Outstanding work soldier." I added in a compassionate tone, "I'm sorry about your brother." He replied, "Thank you sir." Still stunned, I sat down in front of the launch panel. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the bays did not contain any ballistic missiles. I spoke into my com link, "Manny, I am in position." He replied, "Roger, I am bringing her up. Holiday and Point Man have just arrived." Over the com link, Holiday asked, "Okay, so we took over their submarine. We are moving onto the next ship right?" I did not reply and started the launch sequence. I said to Alpha 1, "Tell the commanders to activate their GPS markers now." He relayed the order and almost immediately, I could see their locations on the target screen. After I selected the targets, I advanced the sequence. Over the com link, Holiday said in a worried tone, "Becket, do you copy? The missile bay hatches are opening." I still did not reply and as I finished the sequence, I laughed sadistically. Holiday said frantically, "Becket! The missiles are launching! What the fuck are you doing?" I finally replied and said simply, "Breaking their spine."

I leaned back and closed my eyes as I waited for the carnage to unfold. Shattering the calm of the harbor, the one hundred and fifty four Tomahawk cruise missiles launched. I could only imagine the view from outside. The first thirty missiles roared into the night sky before targeting the aircraft carrier. As they hit the floating runway going about five hundred and fifty miles per hour, they unleashed their thousand-pound warheads on the unprepared vessel. Each of the frigates were hit by ten missiles. Even from the inside of the submarine, I could hear the vibrations traveling through the water. The remaining missiles unleashed their payloads on the city. Every major command post, every major transportation pipeline, and every last one of the marked ATC troop locations was leveled by a barrage of missiles. Only my Replicas and the main ATC port were spared. Finally, in a cue de grace, the last five missiles targeted the bleeding black heart of ATC's presence in the city. The dilapidated ATC headquarters had been gutted by the Origin Explosion but like the company it represented, its towering skeleton still loomed over the city. The monument of inhumane experiments and cruelty was erased from the face of the Earth by its creator's own equipment.

Minutes later, I observed the burning hulk of the aircraft carrier from the surfaced submarine's coning tower. As I watched the vessel slowly sink beneath the surface of the water, I wondered how far I was willing to go in order to take down the corporation. The thing about getting revenge is that one can easily be led astray. Before you knew it, you had lost sight of the reasons why you had set out in the first place. I had to remember who my real enemies were or I would end up like Fettel. "He was good once." I turned to see Alma looking at the burning city with her back towards me. I walked up and stood beside her. I said, "He isn't your son anymore."

She turned her head and looked at me with a sad expression. She remarked in almost a whisper, "He really did want to help me at first because I was his mother. Then, he started to change in front of my eyes." I put my right hand on her left shoulder. She gave me a brief smile to show her gratitude. With the low illumination provided by the fires, her pale skin was luminescent and her glowing eyes stood out against our dark surroundings. It was times like this that I remembered that she was not a mortal creature of flesh and bone but the vengeful spirit of a neglected woman who had died around twenty years prior. I asked her something that had been nagging me for a while. "Alma, why did you let me live?" Puzzled, she asked, "What do you mean?" I explained, "You got what you needed from me so I was a loose end after that. You killed or absorbed everyone else you have come across except for your sons. So why did you let me live? Especially when you had a new child? Did you really expect me to just forgive you and be a father or something?"

She smiled awkwardly for a moment as if she was embarrassed before she replied in a sheepish tone, "I don't really know why to be honest." She tried to explain, "I was drawn to you even before they did those awful things to you. When I first felt you enter the city, I was curious because your signature was strong for being unenhanced or artificial. In the penthouse, I studied you and I liked you for some reason. Even now, there is something about you that seems familiar. Did you live here before?" I nodded and said, "Yeah, when I lived with my parents. I left when I was old enough to join the military. I never stepped foot in this place again until that mission. I definitely don't remember you if that is what you are asking. I never saw you before that mission." She raised her right eyebrow briefly but did not say anything until she said, "Anyway after those things they did to you, I could not help myself. The others I wanted out of the way so I could finally get you alone." She noticed my expression and merely shrugged before she said, "I have never claimed to not be cruel when I want to be. I am a negative psionic after all." I nodded and she continued, "When you were finally vulnerable when you were in the chair, I couldn't stand waiting any longer. I didn't really think about how you would react. Afterwards, you were mean to me but I still couldn't bring myself to kill you. You are special to me. If you weren't, I really would have absorbed you. I am glad that you agreed to help me like this. Even though you are doing this mostly to avenge your brethren, it is still more than anyone else has ever done for me." I asked, "Well, to be honest, you are growing on me. Wait, what about what Fettel did?" She shook her head and explained, "I linked my mind with his. He was going to help me one way or another."

I wondered aloud, "I wonder where he is." She sighed and answered, "Looking for his brother so they can find me." Puzzled, I asked, "Why?" She narrowed her eyes and replied, "He wants to absorb me. If he finds out that I am pregnant, there is no telling what he will do to her." I shivered and assured her, "Don't worry, I will kill him if I have too." She warned, "Don't underestimate him. Fighting another psychic is not a physical challenge but a mental challenge."

I was about to reply, but Alpha 1 climbed up the ladder that led below and reported, "Charges are set and armed sir." I replied, "Outstanding." Seeing the approaching dinghies and patrol boats, I added, "Not a moment too soon. Let's get the Hell out of here." Minutes later, we were all observing the boarded submarine from the deserted street that ran along the shoreline. I held the detonator in my left hand as I waited for all of the search parties to go inside of the submarine. I decided that it was time and went to detonate the charges. However, Holiday stopped me and said, "I am the demolition expert here. So, I should do it. You know, for safety concerns." I had to suppress my laughter and replied, "Alright you nut, here." I handed him the detonator, which he took with noticeable enthusiasm. He activated the detonator and the submarine shuttered as massive explosions compromised her hull. Bubbles surrounded her rapidly sinking hulk. The Armacham logo on her coning tower was the last thing we saw of her before she disappeared below the surface of the water. We turned around and started making our way back to the safe house under the cover of the fog. As we started walking, Morales said, "You guys suck man. I had named her and everything." I slapped his right shoulder with my left hand and said, "Oh cheer up man. Tell you what, the next billion dollar submarine we hijack will be all yours." He laughed quietly before he remarked, "Fuck you man." With the exception of Point Man and Gamma 3, everyone, even Alpha 1 with his distorted voice, laughed quietly at his attitude. However, even Point Man noticeably shook his head briefly.

After we had walked in silence for several minutes, I finally could not stand it anymore. His laugh had been the last straw. I said to my wingman, "Alpha 1, you are not like your brothers. You seem…human." He replied, "I am an inferior specimen sir. When I was created, they were going to destroy me because I have some traces of free will and emotion. It is a rare defect in the manufacturing process and the other defective units were destroyed. The lead scientist overseeing my creation made an exception and labeled me as an experiment." I remarked, "Inferior? Bullshit inferior. You kick serious ass." Rubbing his neck, Holiday remarked, "Tell me about it. It still hurts to breathe." I said to Alpha 1, "You are not inferior. Fuck, you just killed a Phase Commander by snapping its neck with your bare hands and then repeatedly firing your shotgun into its skull at point blank range while you held it down with your left foot. You have my respect and trust. You wouldn't be my wingman if you didn't." He replied, "Copy that sir. Permission to speak freely sir?" I said, "Granted." He remarked, "I would only be following your orders because of my programing if I did not respect and trust you sir. You don't think of me as expendable. You treat me as if I were a real person. I will gladly follow you into battle anytime." I replied in a somewhat stunned tone, "Thanks trooper. As far as I am concerned, you are a human being." Morales cut in, "This is getting a little weird man. You aren't getting soft on us are you?" I shot back, "Hell no! I can kick your ass anytime." He shook his head and we continued to jab at each other as we made our way to the garage.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch.10

A.N.: So, remember how I said that this is set in an alternate universe? Well, this establishes that. Sorry, but this isn't a huge action chapter, but I am already started on the next chapter which is an action chapter so just be patient. I should have the next one posted by this weekend.

Disclaimer: F.E.A.R. 3 belongs to Warner Bros.

I was back in the amplifier. Something was wrong though. Subtle changes in the interior of the device informed me that a good deal of time had passed since Aristide had sealed the device. I was not strapped into the chair so I stood up and walked over to the curved edge of the chamber wall. I yelled, "Damn it Alma! We had a deal! Open the chamber right now!" I heard and felt nothing in response to my outburst. Irritated, I used our link to speak to her directly when I said, "Come on Alma, I am tired. I will play games with you later. Open the chamber." Confusion and panic set in as I not only did not receive a response, but I realized that our bond was extremely weak. Before I could try to think of a way out of my predicament, I became aware of another presence in the chamber. I wheeled around with my pistol drawn. What I saw disturbed me so severely that I wanted to terminate myself with my pistol right there on the spot. Seated in the amplifier chair was…me.

Nearly dropping my pistol onto the floor, I stammered, "Wh-what are yo-you?" My doppelganger did not respond to my question and seemed to not be aware of my existence. In the low light of the spherical prison, I studied him in an effort to grasp what was happening. At first glance, our armor appeared identical but when I scrutinized it further, I noticed that his was black while my armor was more of a brownish color. He raised his head and I again wanted to discharge my pistol into my head. His face was scarred from the brutal fights for survival during the course of the mission to destroy Alma in the exact same way as mine. His hair was darker than mine to the point of being black. I noticed another key difference in our appearances. His eyes were still grey while mine had changed to be identical to my coveter's glowing orange eyes. Before I could notice anything else about him, he stood as he said to what I guessed was ATC watching him from the camera, "The bitch became obsessed with me…" His voice was alarmingly devoid of any energy or life. In addition, there was an edge to his words as he said them that indicated to me that this version of me was not mentally stable. The way he paced around reflected his voice in every regard. He might as well have been a dead man walking.

He continued his ranting, "…Don't you people understand?" I knew what he was about to do because I would have done the same thing if I was in this situation. I rushed forward to stop him from revealing the conception of the third child. However, as my left hand tried to grasp one of his shoulders, I passed straight through his body. Confused, I glanced down at my gloved hands and even went so far as to rotate them in an attempt to find an explanation for what had just occurred. I stopped and glanced back at him. He had not noticed anything and was continuing his rant. Further to my confusion, he did not even try to reveal the third child as a ploy to escape the chamber. Instead, he said, "Why was she ever created? What good did they think would come from that…nightmare?!" The anger in his voice was the only recognizable sign of humanity. However, it was clear that this version of me had broken one of the cardinal rules of being a soldier: he had failed to uphold the one of the six articles of the all-important Code of Conduct. I demanded, "What are you doing soldier? If we are captured, we do absolutely everything possible to try to escape! We learned that in basic training! It is the third article of our Code of Conduct!" I said it from memory, "If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape, and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy." I looked at him with disgust before I said, "You aren't even trying! I mean, how long have you been in here? I escaped within a week and most of that was spent in her dream world."

I stopped when I realized that time seemed to have skipped forward. He said, "Horrible. She raped me." He suddenly ran forward, got close to the camera, and then yelled, "Do you hear me, ARMACHAM? She's…fucking…PREGNANT!" I knew ATC's reaction would be immediate. Sure enough, two mercenaries rushed into the chamber. I had expected them to be quickly dispatched or at least neutralized. Instead, I watched in shock as he let them drag him from the chamber without even trying to defend himself. They were not even armed and I knew that our hand-to-hand training was likely far superior to their own. Yet, he did not fight back. I simply stared as they left the amplifier, presumably to locate Alma and extract our child from her. I was briefly disoriented, as my surroundings become a series of blurs. However, I finally found myself at the exterior of the airport. At first, I thought I had entered Alma's nightmare world because the sky had been transformed as a massive trail of psychic energy, that seemed to be originating from a location either in the city itself or more likely somewhere in the nearby forests, towered above the city and lit the entire region in a shadow of red. Euphoria filled me as the energy trail pulsed with raw power. It was irresistibly intoxicating and as I struggled to keep control over of myself, I realized why it was affecting me with such intensity. It was Alma's signature. She was creating it somehow. Finally suppressing the euphoria, I was able to take in my surroundings more effectively.

The city was unrecognizable and the bridge was gone. The growling of some kind of beasts filled the air. The airport was still intact and when I walked a short distance towards the building, I noticed another one of those weird containment cells. As I moved closer, I saw that a soldier occupied it. It was not until I got close to the cell that I recognized the occupant as the other version of myself. He was leaning against the far corner as he clutched his left bicep with his right hand. I felt two individuals approaching from behind us and turned to see a large, built, unshaven man holding an assault rifle that I had never seen before. The other I immediately recognized as Paxton Fettel or more accurately, Foxtrot 813 under the possession of Paxton Fettel's spirit. If that was Paxton, then the list of possible identities for the other man was drastically cut short. I had never met the man personally but I had heard the Replicas offhandedly mention some rather unpleasant behaviors that the older, now deactivated Replicas had witnessed. From what I had heard, Fettel was not one to tolerate a stranger's presence for any extended length of time, let alone fight beside him. "My babies." I cried out in shock as I heard her whisper beside me to my left. I looked down at her and more or less poked her to see if she was the Alma that I knew. My finger did not pass through her and she gave me a puzzled look.

I explained, "Long story. Alma, what the fuck is this?" She must not have taken a closer look at her surroundings because she asked in a confused tone, "This isn't a dream?" I shook my head and pointed at the other Becket. She gasped and remarked, "Michael that is…you. Why are they…?" The two Origin Prototypes surrounded him while he simply requested to be left alone. However, when Point Man tried to use the control panel, he quickly lost patience and punched the clear wall in front of him hard enough to crack the material. Alerted by the behavior, Becket lifted his head to get a better look at the oldest brother. He moved off the wall that he had been leaning against as he said, "You're not Armacham…" He pressed up against the wall separating them as he inquired, more to himself than Point Man, "…who are you?" He placed both hands against the clear barrier as he repeated, "Who are you?" After a moment, he suddenly retreated in fright as he stated, "It's you." He pressed his back against the corner that was furthest away from Point Man as he said, "What do you want?" As long as he was inside the cell, he would be okay. Thinking that I had the time, I asked Alma, "I thought you said that you can't look into Point Man's mind. I…well…he just did. How…?" I was interrupted by Point Man shooting the lock and thus opening the cell. I yelled, "No!" as I rushed forward in a useless attempt to help the lone unarmed Becket. Of course, my attempt only resulted in passing straight through the brothers, Becket, and the cell. I turned around to see Fettel stop his brother before he said, "Allow me." Alma materialized next to me and I said desperately, "Do something." She looked at me apologetically as she explained, "Michael, there is nothing we can do. We have no influence here." By that time, it was already too late. Fettel had possessed Becket.

He was saying, "This man is a shell brother." He continued as he explained to his brother the concept of Project Harbinger before saying, "He is like us brother. Or, at least manufactured to be like us." Becket suddenly turned and smashed his head three times against various parts of the walls. The red aura around his body noticeably diminished and as he turned to face Point Man, Becket's voice said, "These butchers turned us into monsters…" I felt a ray of hope and even though I knew it was pointless to do so, I said, "That's it, focus. You aren't an empty shell; fight soldier!" Becket rushed forward and grabbed Point Man with both hands. He said bitterly, "I know who you are…you're her bastard SON!" Point Man roughly shoved Becket onto the ground against the back wall of the cell." As he laid there, Becket accused, "I am here because of you." Just as he finished his statement, his body started shaking violently and the red aura returned. I uselessly commented, "No, don't lose focus. Fettel is only interested in what we know about the child. Once he gets that, they don't need you anymore." My heart sank as I heard Fettel's voice say, "Mother chose him." Becket's body vomited violently and I knew that his body was not going to last much longer under the strain. As he returned to sitting against the wall, Fettel said, "It is true brother…conception."

It was over now. This Becket had outlived his usefulness now that the only thing he had that the brothers did not was revealed. Suddenly, the red aura once again faded and Becket suddenly stood. I nodded sadly as I quietly remarked, "Don't make it easy for them. Die fighting." Becket snarled at Point Man as he walked up to him, "You have to kill the filthy maggot that grows inside her!" Becket remained unmoved even as the oldest brother aimed his pistol at the dying soldier's head. His skin started to discolor as the strain began to tear his body apart. Remaining defiant, Becket walked close enough for the end of Point Man's pistol to press against his head. He said, "She's no longer your mother! The child…it must…" His body sagged and he moved back into the center of the cell as his body started to swell. Despite the obvious pain, he finished, "it…it cannot be allowed... to...agh…Live!" Just as he finished, his body exploded with a sick bang. The walls of the cell were covered with his remains and Fettel was left standing where the Delta Force operative had made his final stand. The homicidal psychic chuckled before he remarked, "Say hello to mother." Enraged, I rushed forward to grab the psychopath by his scrawny throat but the impulsive action only resulted in me being temporarily blinded as a white light overtook the area as Fettel's maniacal laughter rang in my ears.

When I regained my eyesight, the brothers had disappeared and only Alma and I were left to try to make sense of what we had witnessed. I zoned out as I stared at the bloodied interior of the cell for several minutes. For once, Alma seemed to be at loss for words as she tried to think of something to say. I shook my head to inform her that there was nothing she could say or do that would somehow make what just happened even remotely acceptable. I finally said, "That is no way for a soldier to die." I sighed before I asked, "Okay, so…?" Alma looked at me and started to say something but stopped when a deafening scream of a woman filled the air as a massive pulse of psychic energy, in the form of a red shockwave, overtook the last remnants of reality. The concrete around us cracked as sinkholes began shifting the very ground we stood on. When the scream finally ceased, the airport was unrecognizable. Strange dog-like creatures that looked like walking bodies of lava traveled in enormous packs looking for victims. The area itself looked like Alma's nightmare world. I recalled the premonition I had when my old squad had first entered the city and I realized with horror that it had finally been fulfilled. She remarked, "It makes sense now. In this world, I am in labor. The pain is causing me to do all of this. My influence is taking over this world." She was unnervingly excited about the last statement. She continued, "That would also explain why I did not intervene here. The birth must be close because I definitely would have stopped them from hurting you." I blurted out, "Hurt me?! Your bastard sons just fucking killed me!"

She shook her head before she explained, "No…you aren't dead but…I can't sense exactly what I did to you. Michael, I love you and you know how I get when I am attached to someone. Do you really think I would let you leave me because of something as simple as being physically killed? You are with me right now just I don't know if you are like me or in one of my worlds." I shivered as I imagined that fate. Sensing my thought, my coveter smiled ominously and remarked, "I told you before my love. There is nowhere you can go that will protect you from me. I will find you." Trying to hide my fear, I said in a forced humorous tone, "Lucky me. What did I ever do to deserve that honor?" Her eyes lit up with amusement and I sensed that she was hiding something from me. She said, "Another time. For now, just know that you have always been special to me." Dread filled me, but I focused on what was happening. I asked, "Okay, seriously Alma, what the Hell is this and where are we?" She gave me a wispy smile and replied, "The question is not where but which." Confused and irritated, I begged her, "Alma, I just watched myself explode from the inside out. No more games. Just tell me. Please?" Her smile faded and I felt the barest traces of guilt in her mind. She explained calmly, "Michael, this is what is going on in another universe. Didn't you notice that Becket's appearance and personality were slightly different? It was you but it was this universe's Sgt. Becket. I bet I look and act differently here too. Sometimes it is as simple as wearing a short sleeve dress instead of a long sleeve dress but sometimes, it can be very drastic."

My mind struggled to grasp what seemed like common knowledge to her. I said, "But, I agreed to work for you. We left the amplifier together. I…we…killed Aristide…and…and…Morales…Alpha 1…I killed all those people with the submarine…I don't understand…" A sharp pain erupted inside my head and I fell to my knees. I cried out in agony, "What is this? I can feel it in my head. Wait…I remember now…I…I stopped thinking like a soldier so I didn't ask you for help. I was just so angry about what happened…I was in the amplifier for months…oh God…they hunted down Morales and they killed him. They were taunting me about it…" Alma gently reached out and wrapped her arms around my neck. As I continued to rant incoherently, she drew me in closer and let me rest my head on her chest. She said soothingly, "No, that was not you. Michael, come back to me. You work for me. We left the amplifier together. The Replicas fight with us. Please, come back to me Michael. I need you." My memories of the past week returned to me and I simply repeated, "The mission is all that matters. My personal feelings are not part of that mission." She held me there for a moment and I admit that it was very comfortable to be so close to her now that I was not in danger of dying every time she touched me.

Finally, I whispered, "Alma, we need to…" She sighed in disappointment but let me retract from her. As I stood, I smiled at her and said, "Thanks." She smiled back and nodded. I looked around us but realized that everything had changed. It was years in the future but something was wrong. There was nothing. No signs of life, no creatures, not even any sound save the lone breeze. Fairport was still in Alma's nightmare world, but now I saw that her influence had extended far beyond the city and surrounding forests. I tried to sense a living being but I realized with immense shock that not only was Fairport devoid of any life but the entire world. I asked, "Damn…this is the fate of this universe? What happened?" "Daughter…" I turned to see a very tired and worn out looking young Alma in a dusty short sleeve red dress. She had to lean against a nearby burnt out hulk that was once a sedan in order to stand. She suddenly coughed weakly and her voice was very raspy as she tried to say, "Daughter…she…did this." Her strength gave out and she was about to fall forward but I rushed forward. I caught her and held her in my arms. She was unusually lightweight, her hair had turned silver, and her once vibrant eyes now resembled two dying pieces of charcoal.

Concerned, I asked, "Alma, what happened to her?" My Alma placed her right hand on her doppelganger's forehead. She looked up at me with sad eyes as she said, "She does not have long. She must be using the last of her energy to do this." The Alma in my arms stated weakly, "Daughter…blamed me for daddy rejecting us. Killed Point Man…I tried to stop her but she was stronger and she stole most of my psychic power. She only left me enough to barely stay alive. I…only had enough left to bring you both here so you could see what she is capable of doing." She suddenly grabbed onto my vest and pulled herself up to look me in the eyes when she said, "Michael, you have to stop her from doing this. If you don't, your world will share the fate of mine. Just be there for her…" She lost her grip and fell back into my arms. She suffered through another coughing fit and started crying quietly in pain. She looked up at me with agonized eyes and desperately requested me between sobs, "Please…I just want…my family…happy." The world around us started to fall apart and a distant demonic female scream rocked the air. The dying Alma laughed sadly and remarked, "Sorry baby, but Mommy has to punish you. We are going to sleep now. Don't worry, I made it quick."

A white dress clad raven-haired little girl appeared before us. It was her, or at least she had once been the little girl I knew. Her grey eyes were replaced by jet black eyes and she had a twisted cruel smile on her face as she studied us. She remarked menacing, "Hello…mother and if I am not mistaken, the other you." She looked at me with a softer expression for a brief moment but soon her cruel smile returned as she mocked me, "Tell me daddy dearest, do you enjoy being mother's little bitch play thing? Fucking man up, fuck the shit out of her however you please, and then move on. Damn, you are so pathetic. Letting her use you so much…you worthless old man. Then again, maybe you like it that way. Is that it daddy? Are you a pain slut that gets off by being treated like crap?" I replied, "Sorry, I don't understand cunt." She was taken aback by my response and was about to say something else but the Alma in my arms said, "There is nothing you can do to stop it. I'm sorry sweetie, mommy never wanted to hurt you." The world started dissolving and the demonic version of our daughter screeched in agony like a wounded animal. As she collapsed to the ground, she looked back up at me and I saw that her eyes had changed back to grey. As her body disintegrated, she raised her left arm and held her hand out towards me as she pleaded, "Daddy, help me please! I don't want to die! Please, help me…I…love…you." She dissolved completely and the world around us joined her. All around us was endless darkness. I looked down at the Alma in my arms and saw that she too was slowly dissolving into a cloud of ash. She smiled as best she could before she said, "Please, don't put your world through this. I never meant to hurt you." Her body turned into ash and I felt myself fall through the darkness.

I opened my eyes and looked around quickly. I was in the APC like always. I turned my head to the left and saw that Alma was sitting in the seat next to me. She looked like she was asleep and resting up against my torso with my left arm draped over her. I asked quietly, "Hey, are you there?" She nodded before she raised her head to look at me. I asked, "That was real wasn't it?" She nodded with a sad expression. I sighed and leaned back in the seat. I said, "Wow…so either I lose most of my sanity by staying with you two or the world ends. Yeah, that sounds about right. I don't know why I didn't see that coming. Damn it…well, I guess I am all yours then." She huffed and remarked, "How charming." I replied bitterly, "You're welcome. Because of you, I can't go back." She pouted briefly but then smirked before she whispered, "I will make it up to you." She sent suggestive images into my mind through our bond. Agonizingly enticed, I said in an irritated tone, "You better make good on your teasing. Not now though because, call me weird but seeing myself die like that is a really big mood killer."

She nodded and said, "I just watched you and our daughter die. How do you think I feel?" I was about to respond but I was interrupted by a knock on the hatch. I called out, "Enter." Alpha 1 entered the APC and said, "Sir, our squads are reporting that eighty percent of the city has been liberated from ATC control. The remaining ATC forces have pulled back to the harbor and are trying to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive. We have them surrounded and have started a siege. Also, Sgt. Morales has requested your presence." I replied, "Outstanding, send my praise to the commanders. Tell Morales I am busy." Alpha 1 laughed and said, "Yeah, he said you would say that and has informed me to tell you to get over yourself and just come look." My eyes widened briefly in shock at the sound of his laughter and I replied, "Thank you Alpha 1." He saluted and walked out of the vehicle. I looked at Alma who was retracting from my body. After retrieving my assault rifle, I stood and walked out of the APC. I shook my head as I thought that if I was not crazy before, I definitely was on my way now.

A.N.: So now, Becket realizes that he cannot leave Alma's side…ever. Anyway, I know that this chapter fails but I felt like I needed to do it.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch.11

A.N.: So, this is what I did with my weekend. I hope it is interesting. I am sorry about the length but for the troopers out there, you might enjoy the ending haha. I apologize for updating this so late. I really meant for this to be posted hours ago but I hit a snag and felt compelled to fix it. There is a synchronicity event between Alma and Becket in this chapter…I hope I described it enough for it to be clear that was happening. Anyway, I hope the readers like it.

I walked out of the APC and started over towards Morales. As I did, Alpha 1 walked next to me. He had changed since his outburst inside the submarine. Now, he acted more and more like a person. I definitely thought of him as a friend. As we neared Morales, I noticed Jin and Point Man interacting together and could not help but smile at them. Jin would say something and he would reply either with a hand gesture or by nodding or shaking his head. I saw Alma frown at the sight and I said through our bond, "He is a grown man. Let him be interested in her." She looked up at me but did not say anything. We had reached Morales and I asked, "What is the fuss about?" He looked away from the laptop and said, "Becket, man we have some problems. ATC is massing the remaining bulk of their forces to retake the city. We can expect those reinforcements to be here in less than twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, the forces holding out in the harbor are keeping our forces from advancing with some kind of EMP defense system. It is preventing our power armor from getting close enough to support the pinned down infantry. Inside the fortress, they have several of our Delta Force operatives as hostages. They have warned that the second one of our troops sets foot inside the compound that they will execute them."

I paced as I thought about my opinions. I could lead the frontal assault on the fortress but I would get my captured comrades killed. The EMP defense system posed a lethal threat to my soldiers too. Air support would be useless as long as that defense was in operation. With reinforcements on the way, I could not afford to use attrition to force the ATC mercenaries into submission. I could infiltrate the harbor again, neutralize the defense system, and rescue my brethren. However, now that the place was under siege, I doubted that I could infiltrate them like I had before. I asked Manny, "Do you have a layout of the fortress?" He nodded and brought it up on the main flat screen monitor. I studied it for a moment. I retraced the path I had used to infiltrate the frigate and noticed that the key communication and power hubs were located at the center of the facility.

I saw that there was a warehouse on the west side of the complex that was merely labeled, "Body storage". It would be lightly guarded as the mercenaries were concentrating on the attacking Replicas. I asked, "Alpha 1, do our forces have a spare cargo plane or something that can achieve high altitudes?" He replied, "One C-130 sir." Stunned, I said, "Really? Where?" He explained, "Hidden runway in the forests sir." I asked, "Is it functional?" He nodded and said, "A squad is on site." I smiled as I realized I had my answer. That just left the reinforcements. I asked Morales, "How are the reinforcements going to enter the city?" He replied, "Massive armada of about twenty ships." Looking at Alma, who was levitating an empty oilcan out of boredom, I thought of a way to destroy the approaching fleet. I looked back at Manny and asked, "Tight spacing their formation?" He eyed me as if he suspected what I was planning before nodding. I looked over at Point Man and then at Alma. Only they knew the exact cause of the Origin Explosion and Point Man was unable to tell me. I asked my bonded partner, "Alma, may I ask you something?" She lowered the can back down before raising her head up and nodding with a curious expression.

I asked, "Alma, what caused the Origin Explosion?" She hesitated for a moment before she explained, "My son shot the cooling system of the reactor inside the Origin facility in an attempt to kill me. When it overloaded, the facility exploded." I nodded and pressed, "Okay but even if it was a large reactor, it would not have produced the explosion that I saw." She lowered her head as if she was embarrassed. I sighed and gently said, "Please, I need to know." She explained through our bond, "I did it. I used the original explosion of the reactor and combined it with my rage. That is what everyone saw: my explosion." I asked her through our bond, "Could you do it again?" Stunned, she raised her head and looked at me with a shocked expression. She said aloud, "I…guess…so. I would need a catalyst but I think I can do it again." Holiday asked from a corner of the garage, "Do what again?" I simply said, "Origin." Everyone, even the Replicas, froze and slowly looked at me. I explained, "An explosion like that will destroy the reinforcements without endangering the Replicas or our men by trying to fight them conventionally." Holiday stated, "Are you serious right now?" I nodded as I said, "Yes, I am." I looked at Alma and asked, "How big of a catalyst would you need?" She started to answer but Jin cut in, "One was bad enough. Do you really intend to scorch the Earth twice in less than a month?" I replied, "Yes I do. It is our only hope to keep the city out of their control. We just don't have the resources or manpower to do it another way." I looked back at Alma and nodded for her to continue. She said, "I need an explosion large enough to project my anger into but it does not have to be anything near the reactor explosion to work." I thought quickly and asked, "How about a UAV strapped with C4 and detonated above the center of the fleet?" She thought for a moment and nodded her head. Manny added, "Becket, Armacham has an AGM being repaired inside a warehouse within the harbor. If you can get me to it, with a little assistance I can get her airworthy again in twelve hours max." Jin said, "I can help with that. I am qualified to work on them."

I nodded and Manny asked, "So you lunatic, what is the plan?" I explained, "We use the C-130 to do a HALO insertion into the harbor. There is a warehouse located at the western edge of the complex that they are using to store bodies. I doubt that it will be guarded beyond the occasional squad that makes it rounds. We land there and use the cover of the frontal assault of the Replicas to infiltrate the rest of the complex. We rescue the Delta Force operatives, neutralize their defenses, and then assist the Replicas as they storm the harbor. Manny and Jin will fix the AGM and then we will use it to create a catalyst for Alma to cause a second Origin Explosion that will destroy the reinforcements. Do that, and will have officially liberated Fairport from Armacham." Holiday remarked, "Wow…what could possibly go wrong with that amazing plan?" I sighed and asked, "Are you with me?" The Replicas immediately confirmed that they had my back. Manny said, "Well, you only live once so why not." Holiday looked at Jin and Point Man for a moment before he nodded. Jin sighed and finally nodded as well. Point Man looked at her and then nodded at me.

Eight hours later, as the sun finally started to set, I found myself inside the Replica C-130 as it prepared to take off. We had all completed our pre-jump oxygen breathing where we had to breathe one hundred percent oxygen and boarded the aircraft. Calculating the amount of time it would take to reach optimal altitude and then reach the harbor, I waited for the right time. As I waited, I tried to calm myself. Being in Delta Force, I had been instructed in how to perform a HALO insertion but it was not something I personally liked doing. So many things could go wrong and I had lost friends during routine practice jumps because of malfunctioning gear. I looked over to see Morales silently praying while I heard Holiday telling perverted jokes to Jin and Point Man in an attempt to hide his fear. There was no room for error and no safety net when it came to HALO jumps. I was so anxious that my hands were shaking uncontrollably and I could not stop them. However, Alma materialized next to me and saw my hands. She cocked her head to the right before she smiled and reached over. She gently held my hands and the shaking stopped. Finally, I instructed the pilot to get the cargo plane into the air. With a roar of the engines, the plane raced down the runway before finally taking off. We all checked and then rechecked our gear to provide peace of mind that the fall would not kill us. After about fifteen minutes, the red light and buzzer activated and we took our respective positions. The rear cargo hatch lowered and a rush of ice-cold air tore into us as we patiently waited for the signal to jump. The bag filled with all of our gear laid beside my feet and I prayed that if I survived the jump that I could find it. Finally, the green light and tone was given and I threw the bag out the opening. Not thinking about it, I jumped out of the safety of the aircraft and into the darkness of the nighttime sky.

The force of the air ripped into my gear but it remained securely attached to my body. Within seconds, I had reached terminal velocity. The cold stung at my body but I reminded myself that it would not cause any permanent damage. The harbor below me got closer and closer as I fell towards it. It took all my focus to keep from opening my parachute prematurely. Finally, at the last possible second, I pulled the cord. I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief as it properly deployed. It felt like hitting a concrete wall but the pain was better than splattering on the ground. I was never so happy to feel my boots impact the ground.

Quickly unstrapping the parachute, I stood and took in my surroundings. I had landed in front of the warehouse and sure enough, body bags were stacked nearly to the ceiling. The stench of decomposition was in the air and it mixed with the familiar lead smell of gunpowder that came from the raging firefight between the Replicas and ATC mercenaries. Alpha 1 landed a few inches to the left of me and we were soon joined by the rest of the team. We all discarded our HALO gear and tried to find the bag with all of our weapons. Alma appeared levitating the bag and dropped it front of us. As the rest of the team was retrieving their weapons, I bent down and hugged her. As I released her and stood, she smiled up at me and I smiled back. Alpha 1 handed me my silenced assault rifle as he whispered, "Your weapon sir." I whispered back, "Thank you. Contact the Replica commanders and confirm a successful touch down." He nodded and started relaying our successful landing to his brethren. I knelt down and reached into my left pouch. After retrieving the folded up copy of the compound's layout, I unfolded it as I lowered it to the ground. My team surrounded the piece of paper and I risked the use of my flashlight to illuminate the diagram. I pointed to the respective buildings as I whispered, "Okay, we are here. The main gate is here and is where the majority of the ATC troops are located. The hostages are located in this office building under the watch of two squads. The generators are located in this building near the ammunition supply dump so we need to use EMP charges to knock them out so we don't turn this place into a roman candle." I turned off my flashlight and folded up the piece of paper before returning it to the pouch. Holding my rifle with my hands, I whispered, "Remember, there is no escaping if we are exposed. We do this or we don't live to see the sunrise." Everyone nodded and I said quietly with more confidence than I actually had, "Alright, let's move out."

We all moved to our assigned objectives. Holiday, Jin, and Point Man made their way for the generators while Alpha 1, Morales, and I made our way to the hostages. Juggernaut and Gamma 3 had taken up position behind cover just outside the main gate and would lead the first wave of troops once the defense system was down. This fortress was nothing like the disciplined powerhouse that I had encountered only days prior. The facility was in a state of chaos as the chorus of shouts and gunfire filled the air. The thundering of artillery volleys from both sides went through cycles like clockwork. Darkness was everywhere as the siege had knocked out various electric grids. Fires were lit all around the compound either intentionally by guards or simply because of the shelling. The building I needed to get to was three buildings over and as I made my way there, I had to wait in the shadows a few times to let enemy patrols pass. At the second building, I encountered a stationary group of guards that were huddled around a burning barrel. I signaled with my left hand and we all crouched down. I requested Alma through our bond, "Alma, kill the fire." She giggled and sure enough, the fire died down before finally going out. The four men huddled around the now useless barrel audibly cursed and tried to restart the fire. I signaled to Morales to take the one furthest to the left and telepathically ordered Alpha 1 to take the middle guard. As we took position, I aimed at the two men on the right. I whispered the countdown, "3, 2, 1, smoke them." I activated my reflexes and fired a single round into the first one's head before switching targets and repeating the process on the second mercenary. I deactivated my reflexes and all four men had been silently dropped at the same time. Since all three of us had silenced assault rifles, though I noticed Alpha 1 had brought along his automatic shotgun, no one would hear the shots. I signaled the all clear and we stood. After we hid the bodies in the shadows, we continued towards the hostages.

As we approached the third building containing the hostages, my com link activated and Jin reported, "Becket, the charges have been set and armed. Awaiting your signal." I replied, "Copy. Standby." The office building was one story but I did not want to approach it until I had scouted out the enemy and allied positions. I could not endanger my captive brethren now that I was so close to getting them out alive. We found a nearby collapsed guard tower and set up position. I asked Morales, "You bring her?" He smiled and retrieved the book bag off his back. He set it down and unzipped the main pouch. He reached inside before withdrawing a radio controlled miniature surveillance bot. Looking more like a child's toy than a piece of military hardware, it was normally looked upon as a joke by most enlisted men and women. However, the rugged little device was perfect for surveying the enemy's position before launching an attack. Morales had nicknamed ours "Matilda" and was fond of her. He set her down beside the pack after examining her to ensure that she had survived the drop. He unzipped the second pouch and withdrew a small foldable monitor. He powered on the monitor that indicated that it was functional as it activated. He reached back into the pouch and withdrew the radio controller. He extended the innocent looking controller's antenna to its maximum length before switching on Matilda. The monitor screen received her camera's transmission. Manipulating the controller, Manny guided the silent bot around the edge of the guard tower and approached the building. For nearly five minutes, he guided her around the building as I watched the screen. There were ten mercenaries in total. Four guarded the south entrance to the building, four guarded the east entrance, and two were pacing around the five bound Delta Force operatives. The captives were in a circle restrained in simple wooden chairs. They all seemed unharmed beyond a few minor injuries but I did not know for how much longer that would continue. ATC was becoming desperate as the Replicas tightened their grip around the harbor. We had to get them out before the mercenaries killed one as a warning. Matilda returned and Manny repacked the equipment. He returned the book bag onto his back.

I instructed them, "Manny, Alpha 1 take the east entrance. I will take the south entrance. Breach and clear at the same time. Trigger discipline. No one shoot a friendly. Do it as quietly as possible. No explosives. Move out." Silently, we approached the building in a crouched posture. Alpha1 and Morales branched off and went to the east entrance while I approached the south entrance. As I reached the wooden door, I heard the first four men conversing about what they were going to do if the Replicas broke through the main defensive line. The main consensus was surrendering and I could not help but smile. Armacham should have known better than to rely upon hired guns. No matter how much money you paid someone, you could never buy his or her complete loyalty. These mercenaries were like any individual. They were just trying to make a living. I did not hate them or pity them. As my Delta Force mentor told me, "Every individual has just as much of a right to live as you do. In the end, someone has to lose in order for the other to succeed."

Alma whispered into my mind, "I am interfering with their com links. Hurry before they grow suspicious." I leaned against the wall next to doorframe and gripped the doorknob. I telepathically counted down the breach to Alpha 1. "Three, two, one, breach!" I silently turned the knob and pushed the door open as quietly as I could. My reflexes activated and I proceeded through the doorframe with my rifle raised. The four men were still sitting around a table playing Texas Hold 'Em by the looks of it. They were around five feet from the door and only had time to look up before I fired my first shot into the first man. I moved so fast that no sooner had the empty shell casing ejected and the next round cycled into the chamber before I fired another round. I killed them and they remained sitting in their seats with their cards in their hands. I proceeded into the central room and saw Alpha 1 already waiting at the east entrance to the room. The two men were unaware of our presence and we dispatched them at the same time.

I deactivated my reflexes. Weapons still raised, we proceeded into the room. We reached the five confused men and I ordered, "Alpha 1, Manny, help me free them." They nodded and placed their weapons on their back. Retrieving their utility blades, they started to cut the men free. As I cut the ropes off the closest man, who was wearing the traditional long sleeve olive green, camouflage uniform with a Kevlar vest, black ballistic helmet, elbow and knee protection, and black face cover with eye protection, he saw my armor and asked, "Who are you guys?" I replied, "Dark Signal, or what's left of it." He said, "Dark Signal? Heard you guys got put on ice. Nice to see that the rumors were false. Thanks for the assistance." I smiled and replied, "No problem, just glad to finally find a squad that wasn't already dead." When he was free, the operative stood and stretched. He examined me closer and backed away slowly. He commented, "Your…your eyes. What are you…?" He was interrupted by Manny saying, "Hey buddy, you got a problem with Becket, you have a problem with me." The operative looked at my friend and saw that he was normal looking. Turning back to me, he apologized, "Sorry, it's just been a weird couple of days. Fucking nightmares wherever you go." I nodded and he walked back over to me. As he neared me, he suddenly pointed behind me as he said, "Look out!" I quickly turned with my weapon raised but only saw a confused Alma who also turned to look behind her briefly before looking back with her right eyebrow raised. I turned back to find the soldier shaking with fright as he stammered, "It's her! No, no, no. Not again." I reassured him, "Easy, she is not going to hurt you or your men." He paused and remarked, "You can see her too…oh thank god, I thought I had lost my damn mind." I laughed and commented, "Yeah, I know the feeling."

He returned the laugh and extended his right hand as he introduced himself, "Sgt. D. Passalaqua, at your service." I extended my right hand and shook his as I said, "Sgt. Becket, nice to meet you Passalaqua. You had any luck contacting Den Mother since the explosion?" He retracted his hand as he laughed. He remarked, "Hell no. Command has their heads up their asses. You?" I shook my head before I asked, "Heh, yeah story of our lives right? So, how did you end up here?" He explained, "Well, I was originally an escort for F.E.A.R. operative Jin Sun-Kwon but we were separated after we investigated the disappearance of the recon unit sent into Armacham Headquarters." I laughed and commented, "Small world. She is with the remaining F.E.A.R. team and they are here helping me." He paused and asked, "No shit?" I shook my head and he replied, "Well, I am glad that she is alright." Morales interrupted us by saying, "Becket, as much as I know how you two would like to keep blowing each other, there is a firefight going on." I laughed quickly before I replied, "Don't be jealous sweetie, you know that you will always be important to me." He snorted and gave me the middle finger with his left hand. I laughed as I shook my head. Turning back to Passalaqua, I asked, "You guys up for a little fun?" He remarked, "You know it!"

I smirked and said into my com link, "Jin, I have successfully liberated the hostages. Five Delta Force operatives. Cut their power." She replied, "They are alive? Thank goodness, great job Becket. Detonating the EMP charges now." An energy pulse, originating inside the building housing the generators, rocked the area. The area was reclaimed by darkness as the facility lost its power. The sound of sentry turrets and the EMP defense system ceased. The backup generators kicked in a few seconds later but they only produced enough power to keep the lights on. Alpha 1 reported, "Sir, our forces are beginning their assault." I nodded and declared, "Fuck yeah, let's do this! Okay, Manny head for the AGM. Jin will link up with you and I need you to get that Reaper online. Passalaqua, take your men and secure an orbital drop point for the Replicas. It needs to be about the size of a typical helicopter landing zone and clear of any overhangs. Use this to mark the spot…" I handed him the transponder. He took it and nodded. I continued, "Activate it at the center of the point and then move out of the way. When the first unit arrives, form up on them and assist. Alpha 1, form up on me and let's go assist our brothers." Everyone replied, "Yes sir."

I noticed the suppressor attached to the end of my assault rifle. As I wrenched it off, I commented, "No use for that now." I tossed it aside. Alma drew my attention and I looked at her as she stood before me. The air around her was pulsing with a miasma of dark energy and her ominous expression of homicidal excitement alone would be enough to make any man fall under her spell. As I looked into her glowing eyes, I heard her say in my mind, "Kill them. Kill them all." I felt her influence rising in my mind as it filled me with euphoria, but, this time, I felt no desire to fight off her guiding touch. I let it flow through me and I nodded at my goddess. I spoke into my com link and addressed everyone, "Brothers and sisters in F.E.A.R., Delta Force, and Replica Forces, these fuckers have overstayed their welcome in this city. They treated us all like we were nothing more than garbage. They have killed our friends or turned them into monsters. They have showed us no mercy. So now, we shall return the favor. We will show them what true FEAR is! The order is as follows: lethal force authorized, no quarter or mercy given, terminate with EXTREME prejudice! Send these motherfuckers on a one way ticket to Hell!"

The roar of warlike cries vibrated the very air of the harbor and above us, the blood red storm clouds returned with vengeance as molten rocks, ash, and this time, blood began to rain down upon what was about to turn into a slaughter pit. Alpha 1 yelled as he threw his suppressed assault rifle onto the floor, "I am with you sir!" He retrieved his automatic shotgun and pumped it an almost comically overdramatic enthusiasm. We all exited the building and proceeded towards our objectives. Before long, we were all colored a nice transparent shade of red. The main gate was already being abandoned as the ATC grunts retreated from the overwhelming number of Replicas and their volley of bullets. I made my way down the main pathway that connected to the main gate to intercept the retreating mercenaries.

The first building we passed was a warehouse that was gutted by an explosion but a lone sniper tried to take a shot at me from the railing of a catwalk that ran along the front of the building. I activated my reflexes, dodged his shot before taking aim, and fired a burst into the man. I deactivated my reflexes as he fell over the railing. Past the warehouse, I saw a retreating group of five mercenaries running towards us. I sprayed down two of them and had to reload. Alpha 1 blasted two of them with his shotgun. The last one tried to run back towards the main gate but Alma appeared before him, which caused him fall backwards in fright. As I neared them, she skipped happily around the terrified man in a circle. She asked him, "Do you like to play games?" He grabbed his pistol and shot himself point blank in the head. Brain matter sprayed out of the exit wound as the corpse fell backwards onto ground. She stopped and sighed. When I reached her, she looked at me with mock sadness before she complained, "They never want to play with me." I smiled and said, "I want to play with you." She smirked at me and winked before dissolving into a cloud of ash as her giggling filling my mind briefly. I continued onward towards the main gate. A Phase Caster appeared before us and tried to summon troops to aid him. However, a rocket fired from the alley to our right stuck him and he exploded in a massive electrical pulse. Holiday and Point Man appeared with Holiday holding a smoking MOD-3 Multi-Rocket Launcher. As we approached, Holiday examined the scorch mark left on the ground from the Phase Caster's explosion before remarking with satisfaction, "Hell yeah. Last round too." He tossed the launcher onto the ground and retrieved his G2A2 assault rifle.

Side by side, the four of us started a bloody trail of death as we made our way to the main gate. In the distance, we soon saw two Replica Elite Powered Armor units chasing the retreating mass of ATC soldiers. Their rotary guns tore into the lightly armored men and as we got closer, I saw a squad of Replicas leading the way. In the middle of the squad, I saw Juggernaut wielding the trademark HV Hammerhead and to his right, Gamma 3 was unloading on the mercenaries with his assault rifle. Realizing that our assistance was not needed and not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, we turned around and headed towards the last bastion of ATC control in the city: the harbormaster's tower. The structure came into view and we saw three Phase Commanders at the front entrance guarding a fourth Phase Commander that was at the top of the tower on the observation deck. They spotted us and opened fire with their penetrators. We quickly got behind the cover of a flipped APC that was about twenty yards from the tower's entrance. As we took stock of our equipment, Holiday began to groan. I looked over to find that he had been hit in his right thigh and left shoulder. He dropped his weapon and squeezed the area around his now bleeding thigh wound. Point Man assisted his teammate and I took that as his request to stay behind. I spoke into my com link, "Yankee 2, target the tower. Danger close." I heard the pilot reply, "Roger that sir. Being strafe run." The Hind D gunship roared down from the bleeding sky and peppered the tower with rocket and cannon fire.

One of the Phase Commanders at the entrance suffered a barrage of cannon fire and self-destructed. After the gunship passed by the structure, it turned, and returned with a second strafe run. As it passed, the pilot reported, "Need to resupply armament sir. Will report when available." I replied, "Copy that Yankee 2. Thanks for the assist." I looked at Alpha 1 who was staring at the Phase Commander still perched on the observation deck. I said, "Alpha 1, let's get these guys." He pointed at the Phase Commander on the observation deck and growled, "That is the one that killed my brother sir!" I smirked and replied, "Really? Perfect, let's go kill his ass." I extended my left hand out and he shook it as he remarked, "Right on sir!" I tossed a shock grenade at the duo guarding the door and as they were stunned, we charged them while unloading a maelstrom of assault rifle and shotgun rounds. When we got to within ten yards of them, they had recovered. They were about to unleash a barrage from their penetrators, but the one on the left suddenly screamed in pain. His body shook violently and a red aura enveloped his form. His comrade groaned when the afflicted tin soldier began firing his penetrator into the unsuspecting man's armored body. The besieged commander turned and violently assaulted his possessed former ally. The one on the left was dispatched first and self-destructed in a cloud of electric energy. Left standing before the wounded brute was Alma who seemed dazed by the death of the body she had possessed. Before she could recover, the bully grabbed her by her tiny neck and brutally pinned her against the doorframe. He hissed at her, "Fucking little brat! Why won't you die?!" He slammed her into the doorway again. As he did, I heard a soft groan escape her. Enraged beyond rational thought, I screamed with a demonic voice, "No, you will not harm her!"

The terrified commander dropped Alma as he turned to face me. Behind me, a whirling black vortex manifested as my fury boiled over. Alma looked on in shock as the commander was forcibly lifted through the air, flew past me, and disappeared into the vortex. After his body disappeared, the vortex vanished and extreme fatigue hit me. I collapsed onto my hands and knees breathing heavily. Nausea hit me and I violently vomited a pool of strange black fluid that resembled old engine oil. As I tried to reel in my thoughts, I felt her soft arms wrap around my neck. Humming softly, she nuzzled against the right side of my face. My strength returned and I was able to stand. She gazed up at me with a mixture of amazement and concern. I asked, "Are you okay?" She replied with a shaking tone, "Yes. Michael, that was amazing. I thought that only I could do that." I smiled weakly and remarked, "I am full of surprises." Alpha 1 asked, "Sir, are you okay?" I nodded and motioned for us to continue. We approached the door that lead inside the tower with only goal in mind: to kill the last ATC soldier on Fairport soil. We breached the door and proceeded up the spiral staircase with our weapons raised. As we made our way towards him, my com link activated and, to my surprise, it was the Phase Commander. He taunted, "I know who you are. Sergeant Michael Becket. Sole surviving product of Project Harbinger and member of Delta Force squad codename: Dark Signal. You are Armacham property; have been ever since Project Paragon. Test scores third only to Origin Prototype Paxton Fettel and his freak of a mother." I ignored his taunts as I made my way up the seemingly endless flight of stairs. He continued, "Poor academic record but exceptional military record. Strange how everyone who fights alongside you ends up dying. How does it feel to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people?" He was close and I forced myself onward. He continued, "Tell me freak, how did it feel to fuck that abomination? Did you cry?" We reached the top floor and opened fire at him through the glass panels. The panels shattered and fell to the ground in shards. The armored soldier returned fire with his penetrator, causing us to dive behind the cover of an Armacham satellite and communication hub that he must have been using to request for evacuation. We went to return fire, but stopped when he had disappeared. As we leaned around the piece of cover, he suddenly phased through the center of the device. I turned just in time to receive a bone crunching kick to my face. I flew across the small circular room and smashed into a support column on the far side. As I flew through the air, I had lost my grip on my assault rifle and it disappeared as it flew down the hollow center of the tower.

The force of the impact caused a grunt to escape me before my ears started ringing. Blood dripped down onto my vest from my now broken nose. Before the mercenary could finish me off with his weapon, Alpha 1 shot him in his back multiple times with his automatic shotgun. In pain, the commander turned and bashed the Replica in his helmet with the stock of his penetrator. As he dropped his shotgun, Alpha 1 backed up in shock, but recovered just in time to catch the armored brute's left leg as he tried to kick him. Holding the leg in his vice like grip, he rushed forward. The charge resulted in the metal soldier being thrown off his feet and smashed into the communication gear. Pouncing on his pinned enemy, Alpha 1 disarmed the tin man by using both hands to break the brute's right arm with a sickening crunch. As he was sending a powerful downward strike with his right fist, my friend roared, "You killed my brother you son of a bitch! I am going to fucking kill you!" The commander phased back through the now sparking device to avoid the blow by mere seconds. I finally managed to stand despite the protests by my joints. A sharp pain in my right side indicated the broken rib but I forced my body onward.

We both went around the side of the device at opposite ends to tag team the lone soldier. I used my reflexes to dodge the fist and, with my hand glowing red, countered with a vicious punch to his face that cracked the helmet. From behind, Alpha 1 stomped against the tall man's left knee with his right boot. A wet pop indicated a compromised knee but the armored brute simply yelled in fury as he spun and backhanded both of us at the same time. While we were stunned, he grabbed both of us and threw us out onto the observation deck. Since he had used his left arm with me, I flew all the way across and impacted the metal safety railing. One of the ornate pieces pierced my vest and penetrated my back. I howled in pure agony as I felt the metal spike penetrate deeper and deeper as I tried to stop my slide down the side of the railing. Meanwhile, Alpha 1 had only been thrown a short distance because of the broken limb of the commander. However, when he lifted his head the brute kicked his helmet with a savage blow using his good leg. The force was enough to flip the Replica onto his back a few inches from me. His white spider web cracked ceramic helmet detached from his armor and rolled up against the railing. The Replica's real face was revealed to the world for the first time since he received his armor.

I stared in shock at the sight and even the Commander paused for a moment. Unlike the deformed faces that I had seen on the other Replica soldiers, Alpha 1's face was almost completely normal. Except for his extremely pale skin and sickly looking brown hair, he looked like any other middle-aged soldier. His blue eyes squinted from being assaulted by light without the protection of his visors. Blood trickled down his left cheek from a nasty gash just below his left eye that must have been from his helmet being forcibly removed. He started to crawl backwards to try to use the support of the railing to stand. The commander laughed sadistically as he approached us. I focused my psychic power and sent a blast of energy to knock him backwards. However, my outburst only minutes earlier has severely drained me. As a result, my weak blast only caused the brute to slide backwards about a foot. Still, it was enough of a delay to allow Alpha 1 to reach the railing. By that time, I had also managed to stand enough to get the spike out of my back. We simultaneously drew our sidearm and unleashed a volley of rounds. The assault was enough to stagger the commander. After one of my shots scored a critical hit that compromised the man's already cracked helmet, he crumpled to his knees as his hands went up to his exposed face. Helping each other to our feet, we limped over to the downed armored man. We dropped our pistols and grasped the man with our hands. With all the strength we could muster, we rushed forward towards the railing. As we reached the railing, we released our grip and threw him off the observation deck. The Phase Commander screamed in anger and fear as he tumbled downwards through the air before slamming into the ground head first four stories below. His body twitched before it exploded. Alpha 1 yelled with his real voice that was rather deep and strong, "That was for my brother asshole!" As we supported each other, we stood and observed the crowd of Delta Force operatives and Replicas that had surrounded the tower.

At first, they all just stared up at us. I guess everyone was in a state of denial. Then, it dawned on me: we had liberated Fairport. Alpha 1 grunted, "We did it sir." Since my right arm was busy supporting his left shoulder and his left arm was busy supporting my right shoulder, we raised our only free hands into the air above our heads. As we did, the crowd erupted into a chorus of cheering. We turned to leave, but we lacked energy to move. We separated as we collapsed onto our backs. I stared into the Hellish clouds as the blood rained down on my motionless form. Alma appeared beside me and knelt down. She reached out and gently touched the sides of my bloodied and bruised face. I winched in pain and she retracted. Blood covered her from head to toe and it rolled off her and onto my face as if she was crying. I realized with shock that she actually was crying as she studied my beaten body. She finally choked out, "Michael…I'm sorry. All my fault. Please, don't hate me. I…I can fix you. Just let me…" She reached down again but this time, I gently reached up and pulled her down on top of me. Her thin smooth legs straddled my waist and she caught herself by placing her hands on the concrete floor on either side of my head. Her nose was touching mine and our lips were only inches apart. As we stared into each other's eyes in the intimate proximity, our racing thoughts flowed back and forth through our bond. They all arrived at the same idea. It was there, as blood rained down onto us and absolutely drenched our bodies, that we first truly kissed each other. It was not out of lust or even for event that we had all just survived. It was a mutual showing of affection that filled us both with warmth.

Hours later, under clear blue early morning sky, we all sat on the observation deck and studied the massive armada that had arrived right on schedule. I sat against the right side of the doorway with Alma snuggled against my chest. To my left, Alpha 1 sat in the corner with his helmet in his hands. He would occasionally flip it in his hands to have something to do besides waiting. He face was bandaged where Jin had stitched the gash wound shut. Morales returned and said, "She is all set man." In a tired tone, I remarked, "Let's fry these bitches so we can get some rest." Everyone murmured in agreement and Morales activated the controls to the repaired AGM. The UAV flew out to intercept the ships. As the center ship came within range, the armed Reaper fired a predator missile at it. The ship destroyed the missile in midflight, but it did not matter. Like a replay of the Origin Explosion, a massive red/orange mushroom cloud towered into the air as a deafening explosion rocked the peaceful silence of the ghost town. Alma rubbed her head against my neck and I whispered, "Perfect. I did not notice how beautiful it was last time." As we watched the explosion unfold, I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. That was the last time we ever saw the armada and the last time ATC had forces deployed in the city of Fairport. Now, we would have to reveal the company's dirty secrets, keep the U.S. Military from arresting us for terrorism, hunt down and kill Carson Salyers, protect Alma from Fettel, successfully deliver the third child, and finally, kill the senator David Hoyle.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch.12

A.N.: In this chapter, Becket learns a very unpleasant fact about his erased past. I know Becket sounds way too mature for his age but, as I can personally attest, abuse tends to make one grow up fast.

I walked down the school hallway with my book bag on my back. As I passed by the lockers, I wondered if I would soon suffer being locked inside of one. Being a shy runt usually covered with bruises, I knew that I was going to be singled out by the other children. Being the new kid did not help either. I might as well have had a huge sign above my head that read, "Bully me". The Caucasian man walking beside me stuck me as being a bit odd but I did not understand why. He looked and acted like any other teacher I had ever met. However, at the back of my mind, something was warning me that he was a threat. I shook it off as just being because I was nervous about my first day at school. As we rounded a corner and headed towards a set of classrooms, he looked down at me and said, "Well, now that we have visited the nurse's office, you are all set to join your classmates. I know that you must be nervous, but everything will be fine Michael." I instinctually flinched at the sound of my first name being said because it was normally followed by a punch or kick. I managed to nod and smile weakly at him. He stopped at a classroom and opened the door for me.

I walked in and immediately knew I was going to be in for a nearly endless amount of bullying as I sized up the other children. They all did the same as I walked to the front of the room. It was the same wherever I went: the pecking order was established before any words were said. Only a display of brutality would change that order. I put on my emotionless façade and my mind retreated into my safe place to distance myself from the degrading teasing and physical abuse. I reached the front of the room and the middle-aged female teacher glared at me for interrupting her lesson until she saw the man that had been escorting me. For a second, I could have sworn I saw fear in her eyes. However, she put on her own façade and smiled warmly at me for the man to see. The man remarked, "Mrs. Jennings, this is your new student. I discussed this with you this morning. I saw that look you gave him." She did not show it, but I could feel the cold fright radiating off her form. He continued, "I will speak to you about your attitude and future employment prospects should it continue later today." She nodded sheepishly before she remarked timidly, "Yes, Mr. Wade."

He paused for a few moments before he finally asked, "Are you waiting for something? Introduce him and get back to work. Do you need me to do your job for you?" She shook her head and looked at her students. With a fake calm tone, she said, "Class, this is our new student: Michael." I flinched again and requested her in a soft, insecure voice, "Excuse me Mrs. Jennings. I hate to be a bother, but I prefer Becket." She stared at me for a second before she looked back at the other students and continued, "Okay…class this is Becket. Please make him feel welcomed." One of the boys in the front row snidely remarked, "Hello Bucket." The other children laughed at the comment. The teacher snapped, "You are on thin ice Mr. Jankowski. One more strike and you will be sent to the principal." The blonde haired kid smiled and I knew he was going to ignore her threat.

When it was time for lunch, we were led to the cafeteria. I went to go find a corner to hide in but my teacher stopped me. She asked, "Where are you going Michael?" I flinched and knew she was only saying that name to get back at me for getting her in trouble with Mr. Wade. I replied softly, "I don't have any money for lunch and my parents won't buy me anything to bring from home." For once, her expression softened. She put her right hand on my tiny left shoulder as she said, "It's okay. We provide free lunches to all of our students." My suspicions were immediately aroused but I kept my poker face as I asked, "Really? So I can finally eat something other than just dinner every day?" She seemed moved by how calm I was when I asked those things. She smiled and nodded before she led me to the front of the line. The other children glared at me as I passed but I was so thrilled at the prospect of free food that I did not care. When we got to the front, my teacher pulled the cashier aside. She whispered something to him. I caught the words, "Mr. Wade", "authorized", "free", and "Becket". The cashier nodded and my teacher smiled at me while she motioned for me to get a tray. After I got my food, I went to find a seat.

I wanted to place myself as far from the other children as possible but still be within eyesight of the cafeteria staff. Even if they did not stop the children from hitting me, they would stop them from taking any of my belongings to avoid any legal action from my parents. My parents did not care if I was beaten but they did worry about having to spend money to replace my stuff when it was taken. I found a small table that seemed to meet my requirements and sat down. Just as I was about to start eating, a quiet voice that was almost a whisper said, "Don't eat." Startled, I looked to my right to find a girl my age, with disheveled but shiny raven hair that covered most of her face and wearing a simple, red, long sleeve dress, sitting next to me. Her sudden appearance coupled with the unusual feeling I got from being near her made me somewhat uncomfortable. However, I did not want to lose the opportunity of having my first friend ever. I mustered as much courage as I could and finally asked, "Why not?" She turned her head to look in my direction.

I saw her face and I was instantly drawn to her. I almost felt hypnotized by her hauntingly beautiful pale heart shaped face with a tiny nose and glowing orange eyes that were surrounded by dark rings. I heard her explain, "Bad for you." I noticed that she did not say it aloud because her pale pink lips did not move when I heard her voice. My curiosity overwhelmed any doubt I had and I went to say something. However, I stopped when a disgusting squelch coupled with agonizing hunger caused me to cup my abdomen as I keeled over. Embarrassed, I tried to stifle the whimper and put on a brave face. Her arms reached out and wrapped around me. She pulled me in and hugged me gently. As she held me, I felt a strange prickling feeling inside my head. It did not hurt exactly; it just felt unnatural. After a few moments, it changed to a sensation of pleasure coupled with relief. I heard her remark, "Just like me. Pain with no one to listen." She was cold but I felt comfortable in her arms. She said in my mind, "Here…" As if out of thin air, she presented a brown paper bag. I took it and looked inside to find that it was a simple lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich wrapped in shrink-wrap and a small, sealed pouch of juice. I looked back at her with a smile. My smile faded when I noticed that she seemed to be as neglected as I was. Guilt flooded me and I asked in concern, "It is yours. You should eat. You need it more than me." Her pink lips formed a barely noticeable smile briefly as if I had said something funny. She shook her head before I heard her siren voice in my mind say, "No. Don't get hungry anymore. You eat. Make you feel better." I sat up, unwrapped the sandwich, and started eating it. Having long since learned not to concentrate on the taste of what I ate as long as it was technically edible, I barely noticed the flavors that my tongue reported. Between swallows, I asked the mysterious girl, "Thank…you. How do you…do that mind…speak thing?" When I did not receive an answer, I looked back over to find, dishearteningly, that she was gone. I looked around but saw no one nearby or even someone that looked like her in the entire cafeteria.

Thinking that I had let my hunger get the best of me and ruined possibly the only chance I would get for a friend, I stopped eating and just stared at the sandwich. My hunger was replaced by a hole in my stomach as sorrow once again filled me. I had to concentrate to keep from crying as I quietly begged aloud, "Don't go." I heard her voice in my mind as she said, "Eat. Still here. What is friend?" Confused and suddenly very worried about my sanity, I verified that she was indeed nowhere to be found. After the brief and futile search, I decided to play along. I tried to do the mind speak thing. I had learned how to read another person's thoughts, but I had never tried to speak to them. I concentrated on speaking to the girl and thought, "Can you hear me?" I nearly jumped up and celebrated as I heard her reply, "Yes. You are strong like I felt. Good job." I continued, "A friend is someone who you can be close to and do fun things with. Someone you can care about. If they are a real friend, you can always trust them to have your back when you get in over your head with something. Or, that is what I have heard. Never had one to be honest. Will you be my first?" I heard her giggle but I did not understand what could be funny about what I said. With my heart racing from nervousness, I waited for her response. Finally, I heard her say, "So, friend is like mommy and son? You want to be my son?"

I could not help but snort softly before I replied, "Not like my mom. Only thing she has done for me is give birth to me and I wish she didn't every time I wake up. She does not care about me…just like everyone else." The strange girl said with compassion, "No care for me either. Left alone in darkness." I paused as I realized that I had finally found someone else with a miserable existence that could at least understand what it was like to be nothing to those around them. I said, "I would care if you gave me a chance." Though I could not see her, I could have sworn I felt her smile before she replied, "I care too if you give me chance. Son?" I laughed before I said, "I would prefer to be called your friend since you are not much older than me, but sure I will be your…son and you can be my…mommy. Just, let's not call each other those things because that would be very uncomfortable…deal?"

She suddenly reappeared to my left. Before I could blink, she had me in a tight hug. She said, "Mommy take care of her Michael." Despite being beside myself with happiness for finally having a friend, the way she said the word "Mommy" was unnerving to the point of being frightening. She sounded obsessed with the word. Not caring about her peculiar mannerisms however, I asked, "How did you know my name?" She laughed quickly before she explained, "Read mind. Know memories." I snickered at my own stupid question and returned the hug. The bell rang before I got the chance to ask her anything else. She released me from her grasp as she whispered, "Go. Will find you." I quickly drank the juice before grasping the tray of uneaten food. I turned back to tell her goodbye but she was gone again. I sighed before proceeding over to the big garbage cans to dump the food on my tray.

Later, as I walking towards the exit of the school to go home, I saw the man who escorted me earlier conversing with another man about the contents of a folder. As I neared, I heard the words "Becket's", "scores", "third", "only", "second prototype", and "Alma". I was intrigued and a bit concerned about the fact that they found me so fascinating. What scores? What was the second prototype? Most importantly, what was an Alma? As I got closer, the two men noticed me and the one holding the folder hid it behind his back as he said, "Ah Becket, how was your first day?" I answered, "It was alright. May I ask you a question Mr. Wade?" He smiled before he replied, "Certainly." I asked, "I met a girl during lunch but after I looked away for a second, she was gone. I want to talk to her but I don't know her name. Will you help me?" My question definitely appeared to be an unusual request but he finally replied with a disguised amused tone, "I will do what I can. What can you tell me about her?" Trying to keep the embarrassment from making me blush, I calmly explained, "She has shiny raven hair, is wearing a red dress, and…umm…her eyes are kind of, well…glowing…orange." To my confusion, the folder was dropped unceremoniously and the papers inside it flew out before they landed sporadically on the ground. The two men looked at each other slowly as if some horrible event had just been reported to them. Mr. Wade finally turned back with a façade look of being relaxed. His eyes bored into me as he studied me for a moment.

After he studied me, he explained, "Becket, neither you nor your new friend are in trouble but it is very, very important that you tell me exactly what she did and said to you." Sensing that I had been caught between two players in a high stakes game, I opted for defending my new friend. I replied casually, "She let me have her lunch because I was hungry. She disappeared before I could thank her or really talk to her." I had purposely left out her talents, that we had agreed to be friends, and that she was going to find me. His eyes narrowed briefly and I felt something in his mind that I certainly did not want to feel again. I had never felt a sensation that cold and inhuman before. Just as quickly as it had manifested, the sensation dissipated. He softened his tone when he said, "Michael, if you see her again let one of your teachers know immediately. I don't know her name but she has been of interest to us for some time. We believe that she is a runaway or an orphan and she seems to be too frightened to let an adult approach her. We just want to help her because she seems ill and in need of medical treatment combined with a good home so she can be happy. You do want your friend to be happy don't you?" He was lying. I knew that just by looking at his body language. Adults could be so full of themselves sometimes. I kept playing my role in their twisted game and acted the part of the naïve, foolish little boy. I pretended to be upset as I replied, "Ye-Yes Mr. Wade. I did-didn't know she wa-was ill. I wa-want to help h-her." I even managed a fake tear after the last statement. Both men bought my performance and Mr. Wade even placed his right hand on my left shoulder as he calmed me, "It's okay dear boy, don't get upset. I did not mean to alarm you. Rest assured, we will find her and she will be taken care of. Then, you two can play together. Okay?" I kept the charade going by sniffling as I nodded my head.

The other man started to round up the papers before I could look at them. However, in my peripheral vision, I managed to catch a look at one of them. It was a series of line graphs that were supposed to show my performance on the tests that I could not remember taking. I only had a second to take in all the information but I did manage to catch the main title of "Paragon Initial Findings". Below it, the phrase, "Subject Case: Becket, Michael" confirmed my suspicions that there was something wrong with these teachers and the school. Why would they call me a subject if I really was just a student? What in the world was Paragon and why were they doing it at an Elementary School? Who were they? Most importantly, what did they really want from my new friend and how did I fit into the picture? I thanked Mr. Wade and told him that I would keep an eye out for her. I turned around and left the school. I had a lot to uncover and since I could not remember those tests, they were obviously messing with my memories. I needed to record my findings so I would not lose my progress just because of something as simple as drug-induced amnesia. I had learned that trick when my dad would hit me in the head and cause me to lose some short-term memories. If I wrote down the essentials before he got home from work, I would still be able to attempt my homework assignments and not get a zero because "I just forgot".

Later that night, I was whimpering in pain as I curled up in a ball underneath the covers of my bed. My dad had grown tired of tormenting me and turned his attention to doing "adult things" with my mom after he had finally drank enough alcohol. The new areas of bruising nearly overlapped the older ones, which made it all hurt worse. I prepared myself for another sleepless night of crying silently as the pain tormented me without reprieve. I knew better than to audibly cry because that would just make my dad come into my room and continue, "Trying to toughen me up". However, I suddenly realized that there was another person in the tiny converted bedroom. Despite the increased agony it caused, I lifted myself up to look around. I suppressed the cry of shock as I saw two glowing orange eyes looking at me from the previously unoccupied section of the twin bed. I heard her in my mind, "Found you." She sounded on the verge of crying herself as she remarked, "Bad man hurt my Michael. Come, mommy will make it better." Not sure how to respond, I just stared at her until I saw her eyes move closer. Her arms wrapped around my tender body and gently pulled me into her soft cold body until my chest was resting against her chest. She lowered us down so we both laid on our side.

Our eyes never strayed from looking into the other's as we laid there underneath the covers in silence for what seemed like an eternity. I only wore a pair of old thin shorts so the majority of my body was bare as she held me close to her. The coldness of her body eased my suffering and I was even able to smile at her through the darkness. Finally, I was able to gather enough courage to ask her the question that had consumed me since our departure in the lunchroom. I asked in a shy, unsure voice, "Who are you?" She pulled me in closer until our noses were touching. As we kept our eyes locked, she whispered, "My name is Alma Wade."

I had finally had enough of that nightmare. "No!" I roared as I bolted upright in the makeshift bed. "Michael, what is it?" I looked over to see the healthy adult Alma sitting up in the bed that we had agreed to share. Her eyes were filled with concern as she tried to understand my outburst. I retreated from her but in my haste, I fell over the side and landed hard on the concrete floor of the inside of the tower. Pain from the injuries I had received only hours earlier immediately racked my body and I was unable to move any further. She materialized before me still in her healthy adult form. She went to help me get back into bed but I pushed her away as I said, "No, get away from me. That was a lie! I never knew you before the mission to take Aristide into custody. You are trying to trick me like you tricked Fox, Griffin, and Keegan! I am not going to let you do that to me!" She paused and studied me for a moment before she smiled. She sat down next to me on the cold floor despite my protests. I ceased my attempts at pushing her away and submitted to being held in her arms. She said, "You remember now." I shook my head as I wanted to believe that it was another one of her mind games. Sensing my denial, she drew me into her mind to show me her memories. As the segments of memories played before me like video clips, she explained, "See? It was not a trick. That really was your memory of how we first met." We returned to the floor of the tower and she waited for my response.

I did not know what to believe. I had sworn that I had never met her before my ill-fated mission. Now, I wondered if that was just something that Armacham had programmed into me to ensure that we would be enemies if we ever met again. The entire time I was slogging through the nightmare of the mission to destroy her, I was plagued by a confusing feeling of guilt for taking part in a mission against her. Orders are orders, and I had accepted that long before I was in Delta Force. Even as I convinced myself that I was simply following orders, something about her kept eating away at me despite my attempts to ignore it. It was as if a part of me was trying to tell me that she was not my enemy. Of course, that feeling could have easily been Alma trying to get me to lower my guard just long enough to her to exploit. She herself had informed me that she would be incredibly manipulative if she had to be. I finally looked back at her and said, "I don't know what to believe."

She nodded and smiled in an understanding manner. Before she could continue, Alpha 1 stirred from where he had passed out cold around the same time I had. He was under the effects of the painkiller Jin had given him so he could sleep even with the nasty gash he had received on his face. I had been surprised that my friend needed and was even capable of sleep. Right before he fell asleep, he had explained to me that the ability to voluntarily fall sleep was a side effect of his condition and while he did not actually need to, it helped his body heal faster. He looked over at us from his sleeping area for a moment as if his mind was trying to process what has happening. Finally, he asked in a tired voice, "Are you okay sir? Need me to get up and help?" I assured my exhausted brother, "I'm fine. Don't worry. Go back to sleep man, you need it." He rolled back over on his own makeshift bed after he replied, "So do you sir."

Alma gently guided me back over to our bed and helped me get back on it. After resituating ourselves, I allowed her to snuggle up against me. She closed her eyes as she rested against my vest. I suspected that she was going to spend this part of her day with our daughter. I studied the raven-haired goddess in silence for a few minutes. That dream, was it true like she said it was? Was she really my long lost childhood friend? Or was she just trying to trick me for her own amusement? I had already demonstrated that I had feelings for her and had even agreed to be her companion literally until the end of time. So, if it was a trick, it was completely unnecessary and I was certain that she would be able to understand that. She had won. She had my seed, in some disturbing ways my mind, and my heart. What more could she possibly want from me? Everything considered, all signs pointed to the one possibility that I hated most of all. We were friends when I was younger. Not sure if I should be relieved or terrified, I decided that things would be easier to process once I got a decent amount of sleep. I closed my eyes and drifted back into the darkness.

A.N.: So…yeah, that is my theory. I know that diehard "canon followers" openly hate the idea that Alma and Becket knew each other when he was younger and his memories were either erased or altered so he does not remember her during the events of the second game. To me, there is a small window of opportunity that it could have happened. I kept being tripped up because I forgot that the game is supposed to take place sometime between 2025-2026. Becket seems like he is in his thirties so that would put his year of birth sometime around 1995. The Paragon manual was copyrighted in 1997. Alma did not physically die until 2005-2006. Before that, it is completely possible, however unlikely, that she sensed Becket's presence in the city and made contact with him. I assumed that Becket was living in Fairport because as far as I can tell, the Wade Elementary School in Fairport is the only location where Paragon was active. She had just had both of her sons taken from her before even got to hold them so maybe she redirected her affection onto Becket who would have been around the same age as Point Man and Fettel assuming that Alma was indeed 15 and 16 when she gave birth to them. So while it may not have been a friendship in the traditional sense as Alma would have seen Becket as more like a substitute son, it would have been something.

Before anyone gets all offended or upset that my story has gone down this route, I am only doing this to establish a backstory to fill in the gaps that the game leaves open to interpretation. The main part of the story will be largely unaffected by this chapter save a few references in dialogues and so forth. Anyway, it is Labor Day weekend for me so I am doing another big action chapter like I did last weekend. As always, thank you to everyone taking the time to read my story and for being supportive. I hope I did not lose anyone for this chapter because it was supposed to be cute and adorable haha.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch.13

A.N.: Canon lemon at some point in this chapter. I wouldn't call it a lemon per se because I tried to not be too graphic. Anyway, sorry it took so long to write. Personally, I think I dropped the ball on this one, but I need to keep updating so I don't fall behind. Thanks to everyone still taking an interest in the story. I really appreciate it.

"Sir, we have…" From the eagle's nest of the observation deck, I replied to the Replica sentry, "I know. Maintain position but hold your fire until I say otherwise." The Replica sniper replied, "Roger that sir." The incoming Black Hawk had U.S. Military markings and I would bet that she was a Delta Force bird. The pilot had radioed in to us that a negotiator was onboard but I was not going to take any chances. For all I knew, they were a special ops team sent in to kill us. Alpha 1 returned with a missile launcher. With his voice distorted by his helmet, he remarked, "Just say the word sir." I said, "Begin tracking, but hold your fire until I tell you." As he raised the launcher up and began tracking the bird, he replied, "Copy that. Standing by." From inside the created command post inside the tower, Jin radioed in, "Becket, I have established a secure line to the pilot. Patching you in now."

I said into my com link, "Identify yourself." The pilot responded, "Commissioner Rodney Betters's and Delta Force Coordinator Shepard's shuttle. Call sign: Delta 5." My eyes narrowed and I ordered, "Reverse course immediately Delta 5. Your intrusion into our airspace is not authorized." The voice of my old boss said, "Sgt. Becket, this is Den Mother. Stand down." I looked over at Alma who smiled ominously at me. I nodded at her before I replied to the order, "Ah, nice of you to finally join us. Kindly blow it out your ass sir. Last warning, reverse course or we will begin to fire." Betters said, "Wait Sergeant. Point Man sent me information revealing Armacham's crimes. We know what they did." I muttered bitterly, "You don't know shit about what those bastards have done. Project Origin is just the tip of the iceberg." He replied, "We want to help. Unofficially, the U.S. Military has your back." I questioned, "And officially?" He answered, "Officially, our hands are tied. Armacham has a major name backing them in the government. A Senator…" I finished, "David Hoyle." He replied, "Yes. He is sweet talking the brass into taking action against you." I thought for a moment and said, "Maintain position for a moment. I need to consult my boss." I looked over at Alma and said, "Your call. Do you want their help? It would definitely help if we had some pull in the DoD. They might even know how to get to the senator." She thought for a moment before she nodded. I nodded in return. Looking back at the hovering helicopter, I spoke into my com link, "It's your lucky day gentlemen. My boss thinks you might be useful. Land on the helipad near the tower, turn off your engines, and allow yourselves to be escorted to my location. Deviate from those instructions and I assure you that you will be dead before you can twitch. Understood?" The men responded, "Understood."

A few minutes later, Gamma 3 reported, "VIP's are in custody sir. Escorting them to your location." I replied, "Copy that." Sure enough, only a minute or two had passed before Gamma 3 entered the small room with Betters and Shepard in tow. He paused and saluted me before he reported, "Sir, the VIP's." I saluted him in return and ordered, "Very good Gamma 3. I want you and Juggernaut to guard the door. Make sure that we do not have uninvited guests." He nodded and exited the room. I leaned against the nearest wall of the room that about the size of a supply shed. Alpha 1 continued to stand with his automatic shotgun in his grasp. The two men eyed the armed Replica soldier nervously and I could not help but laugh. I remarked, "You two don't get out in the field often huh? I apologize for the rude introductions but I can't afford to take security for granted. So, you want to help…well you can start by telling me how to avoid being arrested or killed for terrorism." Shepard explained, "Our men are hesitant about killing their own brethren. We all know that you and everyone else involved with this mess are not terrorists. However, that senator is too influential for us to stop the operations that are being planned against you. They are going to happen whether we want them to or not. Unless…" I questioned, "Unless what?" Betters explained, "If you eliminate the senator, we can get the operations suspended. We might even be able to authorize military assistance. We did manage to get a black ops authorized for you…" He started to hand me a folder, but I raised my right hand. I informed them, "I am not the person that you should be giving that to." Confused, he asked, "Then who…?" A soft whisper came from behind them, "Hi."

Both men wheeled around to see Alma in her child form observing them with an emotionless expression. She silently walked between them. I was certain that she was enjoying their fear as she slowly passed them with measured steps. She made her way over to me before she turned and leaned against my right leg. I smirked at the men as I said, "Gentlemen, my boss: Alma Wade." Shepard did not know who she was so he was just stunned by her sudden and unusual appearance. Betters on the other hand, he knew and started, "Becket, she is…" I interrupted him when I said, "…a victim. I know who she is and what she has done. More than you could possibly understand. She is not going to hurt you unless you give her reason to." Confused, Shepard asked, "Am I missing something here?" I remarked, "Don't worry about it sir." Alma extended her right arm as she opened her right hand. After a brief moment of tension, Betters handed the folder to her. She took it and handed it to me.

As I opened it, Betters explained, "David Hoyle has been under scrutiny long before this mess. The CIA believes that he may be responsible for the leaking of some of our top military secrets including technology specs, black operations…you name it. All the evidence has been circumstantial and so far, no one has been willing to come forward to testify. Therefore, no operation against him has ever yielded anything other than suspicions. After the Origin Explosion, he disappeared and we believe that he has gone into hiding until this blows over. There is a strong reason to believe that he is currently at his residence on an island just outside our territorial waters south of the Florida Keys. It is international territory so we can't authorize a normal strike force." I added, "That is where I come in." Betters nodded before he continued, "Yes. Hannibal-3 satellite images have confirmed an increased presence of hired guards and security measures. There is a layout of the island in the folder. I am sorry sergeant, but that is as far as we can go for you." Still going through the contents of the folder, I nodded before I said, "You have stuck your necks out far enough. Rest assured, the senator is as good as dead. Thank you gentlemen, just be sure to cover your end of things once he is gone." I telepathically communicated for Gamma 3 and Juggernaut to enter and escort the two men back to their Black Hawk.

About an hour later, I was examining the layout of the island inside the command post. A small finger poked me and I looked down to see Alma pouting. Smiling, I picked her up and set her down on top of the table that we were using to view the data. Morales looked up from the documents that he had been looking through and said, "Becket, man this will not be an easy task. From what I can gather, this guy has a small army of security guards at his disposal. This island is only a mile wide and three miles long at best. That means that either you go in guns blazing which will give him a chance to escape, or you somehow turn invisible." I refused to play their game and I replied, "No, no, no. Everything has a weakness. I just need to come at this from a different angle." I thought through my options and arrived at a plan so crazy that it would have to work. I looked at Alma and asked, "Alma, do you remember that other universe?" She nodded with a confused expression. I continued, "What would it take to trap an entire island in your nightmare world?" She examined the layout of the island before smirking. She looked back at me and explained, "Not much. I could do it whenever you asked me to. Such a tiny area would be no problem for me now that my power is increasing." I replied, "Perfect." I looked over at Alpha 1 and questioned, "How long until the C-130 is refueled?" He spoke into his com link for a moment before he answered, "Full tank capacity can be achieved in three hours sir." I ordered, "Have them begin the fueling." He nodded and started speaking into his com link. I turned back to Morales and said, "Manny, handle things while I am gone." He gave me a worried look as he asked, "You sure that you don't want me to come with you?" I sighed and explained, "Manny, I have my doubts that I am even going to come back. Besides, I need someone that I can trust to stay here and keep everything in order." He frowned before he said, "Becket, Stokes was not your fault." My breath caught in my throat, but I managed to reply, "Yes it was." I turned and walked out of the tower with Alpha 1.

Several hours later as we neared the drop zone, I was jolted awake by a rocking of the C-130. I looked over at Alpha 1 who started to say, "Sir, the island has defens…" At that moment, the plane rocked violently and the back section broke off from the rest of the frame. The suction force ripped me out of my seat and I flew out of the back of the cargo plane. I was briefly disorientated as I spun uncontrollably in the darkness. Below me, antiaircraft fire lit up the island and filled the air around me with flak bursts. After several tense moments, I finally managed to gain control of my decent. By that time, I had passed the point that I needed to deploy my parachute. I pulled the cord and jolted skyward. The jolt ripped my pack from my body. Below me, I could see that I was about to land on top of a small concrete block hut that was likely the servant's quarters. At the speed that I was falling, I had my doubts that I would survive the impact. There were four huts set up in a cross with an open courtyard in the center of them. I steered towards the courtyard. I barely managed to miss the huts but the landing still caused me to black out.

When I regained consciousness, I was sideways in a fountain with my parachute hiding me from view. I heard two men conversing. One asked, "Think he's dead?" The other one replied, "You want to go check?" With my pack gone, my only weapon was my pistol. I unstrapped the parachute and retrieved my sidearm. I used the barrel to peek outside the canvas that was surrounding me. There were two men nearby and I heard an APC engine somewhere in the courtyard behind me. I activated my reflexes as I charged out of the fountain. I dropped the first man with a single round, holstered my pistol, grabbed his submachine gun, and finished off the other man with a bust. I turned around just in time to dodge a grenade round from the enemy APC. I dove behind the cover of a nearby hut as the grenade rounds continued to fly past me. I deactivated my reflexes to conserve my energy. As I tried to flank the vehicle, it drove through the hut. The flying concrete knocked me off my feet and the massive vehicle started to run me over but it stopped inches from my face.

The wheels were still moving but something was holding it in place. I looked behind me and saw an enraged emaciated Alma stalking towards us. I had never seen her so angry before. Her normally emotionless expression was replaced by a contorted demonic scowl. It was frightening to see her like that to say the least. I turned back to the APC and saw that she had lifted the armored vehicle off the ground. As if it weighed nothing, it flew backwards, summersaulted, and smashed into another hut. She walked past me towards the overturned vehicle. As she did, the negative energy radiating off her made me feel incredibly cold. As she came to a stop before the vehicle, the cargo hatch opened and two men exited. I swore I heard her snarl at them as they levitated into the air. The courtyard was filled with the sounds of snapping bones and squishing flesh as she used her mind to toss them about the courtyard like ragdolls. They stopped screaming after the third impact on one of the hut walls. She just kept hurling them into the ground, the hut walls, and anything that she thought would tear them apart. She walked into the center of the courtyard. Chunks of concrete, the bodies of the four slain guards, and anything loose started circling her with increasing velocity. Finally, just as I could no longer see her behind the circling debris, she screamed. The sound was so loud that I momentarily lost my hearing. The debris flew straight up into the air and disappeared into the night sky. The sky itself seemed to rip apart as huge red gashes opened up. Blood red clouds emerged from the gashes and just as I had regained my hearing, she shrieked another deafening scream of rage. This time, a massive pulse of her psychic energy overtook the island and me in the form of a red tinted shockwave.

The next thing I remember is her healthy adult form holding me in her arms. My groan alerted her that I was conscious. She kissed me quickly before she helped me to my feet. The courtyard, along with the rest of the island had been transformed. Reality had been replaced by her own twisted world. The screams of guards being ripped apart by monsters and apparitions born from her torment filled the air like a chorus. The whole area was bathed in orange like the world that I had fought Keegan in. I noticed that nothing existed beyond the edge of the land except darkness. She had completely transported the island into her own nightmare world. I remarked, "That was…interesting. Thank you by the way." Before she could respond, an armored truck drove into the courtyard. I raised my submachine gun as I anticipated a squad of security guards. However, when the hatch opened, Alpha 1 and two regular Replica soldiers exited the vehicle. He waved at me as the two grunts set up a defensive perimeter. He remarked, "You look like you could use a ride sir." I smiled slightly as I walked towards him. When I reached his location, I asked him, "Is this everyone?" He sighed before he answered, "Yes sir. The rest of Sierra died in when the C-130 exploded. Then, we lost three men when we were surrounded at our landing site. We all lost most of our gear in the fall but we managed to commandeer this truck and its supplies.

I commended him, "Outstanding work. Now, let's go avenge the rest of Sierra." He replied, "Yes sir. They won't know what hit them." I said loudly, "Mount up. Time to go knock on that bastard's front door." Alpha 1 and the two grunts returned to the armored truck's interior. I followed close behind. The interior was a smaller version of the inside of Dark Signal's APC. The driver's seat was empty so I commented, "I'll take the wheel" as I sat down. I shifted the vehicle into reverse and backed it up enough to turn around. When I had, I shifted into drive. I pressed down on the accelerator as I turned the wheel to navigate around a hut. With a rumble, the diesel engine powered the armored truck forward. I soon located the road that led to the white mansion located at the center of the highest point on the island. As I drove down the road, all around us I could see the same beasts that I had seen in the other universe. They overwhelmed the guards that we passed; literally swarming the men and ripping them apart like piranhas. I also saw more of those root-like tentacles emerge out of the ground and annihilate any guard within their reach. A heavy iron fence surrounded the mansion. In front of the main gate, I saw three Crown Victoria security sedans with black and white color schemes forming a roadblock. Undeterred, I accelerated and used the weight of the truck to bulldoze through the roadblock and mowed down the front gate.

The truck vibrated but continued forward. With the barrier neutralized, the horde of beasts poured into the complex. They cleared the way for our advance towards the mansion's large ornate hardwood doors. As I drove the vehicle up the clean marble steps, two guards appeared on either side of the double doors with missile launchers. I continued my course and even mowed down a marble statue and a small green bush that was trimmed to resemble the logo of Armacham. The men fired a round from their launchers as we neared their location. Both missiles scored a hit on the truck's hull. Sparks erupted inside the vehicle but the diesel engine refused to die. The men tried to reload but I ran them both over and crushed them beneath the huge tires as I plowed through the wooden doors of the main entrance. I ended the truck's rampage as I maneuvered into the formal greeting room. I shifted into park before exiting the driver's seat. The grunts opened the hatch and charged out of the interior of the truck. Alpha 1 tossed me an assault rifle and we both exited the vehicle. As I exited the vehicle, I remarked humorously, "Okay, now everyone remember where we parked." The interior of the once lavish mansion had been twisted by Alma's nightmares to resemble a cross between a slaughterhouse and a medieval torture dungeon. As she materialized, I remarked, "You are never going to be in charge of the decorating of any place we might live in." She smirked up at me with her childish façade but said nothing.

Mentally shrugging, I looked away from her and ordered the Replicas, "You two, secure this floor. Alpha 1, form up on me. Kill anyone you come across except David Hoyle." In unison, they all replied, "Yes sir." Behind us, the feral beasts poured through the opening and proceeded into the interior of the building ahead of us. I proceeded up the large bloodied steps that led to the second floor with my weapon raised. Behind me, Alpha 1 did the same with his scavenged pump action combat shotgun. When we reached the landing, I saw that the creatures were leaving the central hallway untouched so I proceeded down it. I shivered as I passed the various rooms. The first room had a sign that had the name "Bill Moody" written on it. As I passed, the open door revealed a man being electrocuted in a chair as two shadow figures watched on. I nearly gagged on the smell of cooking flesh and burnt hair. I muttered, "You sick fucks didn't wet the sponge before you started pumping electricity into his body did you?" The second room had a sign that had the name "Charles Habegger" written on it. The open door revealed a man being hacked into pieces alive on top of an autopsy table by a blood-covered figure dressed in hospital scrubs. The third door had a sign that had the name "Iain Hives" written on it. The door was closed but there was a viewing window with bars cover it. Inside, I saw a bloodied man in a straightjacket rocking back and forth against the far wall. He was muttering, "I didn't know. I didn't know. It wasn't my fault." There were only three more side doors and one main door at the end of the hallway. The next door had a sign that had the name "Alice Wade" written on it.

Upon seeing the name, I stopped dead in my tracks. I walked over to the closed door that resembled a prison cell door. Through the rusted bars, I saw a young blonde woman pacing around the prison cell as if she was looking for something. I muttered aloud, "What the Hell?" She must have heard me because she faced me and walked up to the door. She grasped two bars with her hands as she studied me for a moment. After a few seconds, she asked in an innocent voice, "Who are you? Why are you here?" Somewhat uncomfortable, I replied, "Sgt. Becket ma'am, Delta Force. I am looking for someone. Have you seen a man named David Hoyle?" She shook her head and replied apologetically, "No sir, I'm sorry I haven't." Her eyes lit up in brief happiness as she asked, "Wait, did you say Delta Force?" I nodded and she eagerly asked, "Please, can you help me get out of here? I need to find my father." My eyes narrowed as I questioned, "Your father? You don't mean Harlan Wade do you?" Her eyes widened briefly before she responded, "How did you…yes, he is my father. Please tell me you know where he is. I need to make sure he is okay." I shook my head and looked back to find that I was alone in the hallway. Furthermore, I saw that the door at the opposite end of the hallway was no longer there and was simply a solid wall. I muttered, "Okay, what the fuck man?" Alice's voice caused me to turn back to her. She backed away from the door slightly as she informed me in a frightened voice, "You have to leave. You have to leave. She is coming. If she finds you here, she will do horrible things to you."

Curious, I questioned, "Who? Alma?" At the mentioning of my goddess's name, Alice gasped and remarked, "No, no don't say her name. She will hear you. Please, run and save yourself." I smirked before I replied, "Too late for that ma'am." As if on cue, I heard my paramour's giggling as she materialized beside me to my right. Alice trembled as she fell backwards onto her posterior. Alma observed her as if she were amused. Finally, she remarked, "Hello…sister." Stunned, I said, "You never mentioned that you had a sister. She looks…nothing like you." Alma explained, "Different mother." She walked up to the cell door and taunted her sibling, "Oh dear sister…I HATE you! I HATE YOU!" Alice screamed in fear and retreated against the far wall. She cowered in a ball as she babbled incoherently. Satisfied, the dark haired child turned to look at me with a mischievous grin.

Sympathetic, I asked, "Alma, why do you torment her so? What did she do to you?" She frowned slightly before she explained, "She got father's love. She was the favorite daughter. Not me. No late nights crying alone or nightmares…or…or voices inside her head telling her to kill. Not her. Only me." I shook my head and asked, "Okay, but what did she do to you personally?" Alma seemed confused by the question. I sighed and explained, "Alma, look at her. She doesn't even know why she is here. She thinks she is still alive. Why are you torturing her? You, of all people, should know what it is like to be tortured and held against your will because of something that was not your fault. Watch…" I walked up to the cell door and questioned the blonde Wade, "Sweetie, did you know that your father is a sadistic piece of shit who tortured his first daughter since she was born just so he could make progress in a little thing called Project Origin? He beat her, made her want to die, locked her away from the world when she was eight, forcibly impregnated her twice, made her give birth when she was fifteen and sixteen, never let her hold her own children, and then, when she reached out to her second son and caused him to go rogue, he pulled the plug on her life support which killed her six days later. He left her there in that liquid prison like she was nothing. Your father is a cruel, heartless man Alice. Oh, did I mention that he donated genetic material for the embryos that they put inside her? Guess he likes to keep it in the family. I wonder… did he have his eyes on you? Get a little too touchie feelie with you when you would play together?" Alice charged forward as she yelled, "Lies! My father is a good man! He would never do such horrible things." I laughed at her and said, "Oh no? Look at your sister! She is the proof!" I looked down at Alma and said, "Alma, show her." She nodded and for a few moments, both siblings were perfectly still.

Then, I saw Alice blink and she sank back onto the ground as she started crying. For once, I saw Alma display regret as she observed her broken sister. Alice looked up at her and managed to state, "I'm sorry Alma. I didn't know father did those things to you. Please, forgive me. I didn't know…" Alma hesitated as she tried to understand what she was feeling. I said, "Alma, time to do the right thing. Release her from her torment and let her go." Alma nodded and the cell door opened. Alice stepped out and looked at us before she smiled. She dissolved away before our eyes. Alma sighed as she said, "Well…that's it. No more sister. Do you want me to release Aristide and father too?" I remarked, "Hell no on Aristide and it's your call on your father." I moved towards the door at the end of the hallway. As I reached it, I suddenly found myself in an ornate bedroom. I turned to find that there was only a solid wall behind me. I realized that I was just inside her mind. Those people must have been in some way connected to her pain. She was torturing them to get even. The bedroom door opened and Alpha 1 walked in.

Upon seeing me, he said, "Sir! There you are. I was right behind you when you walked into the hallway but I thought I saw Ghost so I stopped. When I looked back, there was just a wall. So, I went all the way around. Why didn't you answer my calls?" I replied, "Must have been interference because I did not get them. I thought you were with me so I did not look back. Wait, you saw Ghost?" He fidgeted with the shotgun nervously before he replied, "I thought I did. He was there only for a second but I am certain it was him. It is impossible though. No one could have survived that fire." I walked forward and placed my left hand on his right shoulder. I assured him, "We are in Alma's world now. We are bound to see a bunch of things that we don't want to see. You aren't crazy okay?" He nodded so I removed my hand and motioned for us to continue forward. I went to leave the room but stopped when I noticed the bookshelf. In front of it, there were several books on the floor and the rug was slightly off center. I moved to the shelf. I bent down as I examined it carefully. If my suspicions were correct, then there would be a release mechanism somewhere in plain sight. I picked up a few of the books before throwing them aside. I tried a few of the paperweights but still nothing worked. When realization hit me, I nearly face palmed as I said aloud, "Wait, what the fuck am I doing?" I stood and raised my left hand. It pulsed with red energy as I focused my psychic energy. I tore the shelf that was actually a disguised security door from the wall. I moved it off to the left and set it down. I looked back at Alpha 1 and said, "You didn't see that." He laughed before he said, "No sir I didn't." I cleared my throat before I motioned for us to proceed.

It reminded me of the panic room Aristide had in her penthouse. There was a little workstation at the entrance. To the right was a set of stairs that led to a second security door. As we approached it, an intercom activated. A smug, narcissistic male's voice said, "The assassins have arrived at my final defense. One an engineered puppet and the other a seduced puppet. Tell me gentlemen, do you have any idea how much it took to create products like yourselves? Are you even capable of fathoming the impact of what you have done? You think killing me or anyone else was involved with what has was done in Fairport is going to change anything?" I yelled at the security camera above the door, "Save the speech Hoyle. It is time for you to pay for what you have done." He laughed and replied, "My, my, such an outspoken little grunt aren't you? Ah, I see that armor you are wearing. Yes,…I know who you are. Tell me soldier, did you watch them all die? Watched as the light faded from your friends' eyes? If only you could have reached them in time…maybe, just maybe, they would still be alive. Does it haunt your nightmares? Their faces staring at you as if asking why you did not save them..." The black mass inside my mind threatened to break loose as I snarled at the camera, "Hoyle, open this door and face me like a man." My threat only caused another round of irritating cocky laughter. After he finished laughing, he said, "Like a man? Dear boy, I am the only man here. Look at yourself son, do you really think you are a man? Poor little Michael, all he ever wanted was a fwiend to pway with. Do you know how much you were worth to your parents? Ten thousand dollars. They did not even bother to ask what ATC would do to you. Just took the money and handed you over to that school."

With a demonic voice, I screamed, "Shut up!" The lights around us flickered in reaction to my anger. The senator remarked, "Hmm…much more feisty than I remember. It is a shame you proved to be too anarchist for inclusion in Project Harbinger as a young teenager. You would have been a valuable asset. Tell me, did you appreciate my voucher for you to get into your precious Delta Force?" I paused as I remembered the voucher I had gotten to be given the opportunity to join Delta Force. He mocked my silence by explaining, "What? You think that happened just because you were a good little boy scout? You really are clueless aren't you? Genius, most of your life is because of Armacham and me! There only choices that you have made are joining the military, which we exploited, becoming friends with that abomination, which we also exploited, and deciding to help that bitch get revenge. I must admit, I was so proud watching you in action. It was like watching an investment that kept growing and growing. Finally, when time came to cash you in, Aristide was as giddy as a schoolgirl. Poor woman thought I was helping her...I only ever help myself. Then, you performed marvelously. Just as you were meant to." I ignored his taunts because he was just trying to rattle me. I spoke into my com link, "Sierra team, I have located primary objective David Hoyle. Sierra 7 and Sierra 9, secure a means of exfiltration while Alpha 1 and I neutralize the target." The two Replica soldiers responded, "Roger that sir."

The senator remarked, "Ah, I see you are finally fulfilling your primary function. Pity you fell prey to that succubus. What was it like? Did you enjoy her disgusting, slimy, cold nether lips sliding up and down on your member? You know, there is a word for that and it is called necrophilia." I looked back at Alpha 1 and Alma and ordered, "Breach and clear. This circus has gone on long enough." They both nodded as they moved into position. As Alpha 1 and I moved back, Alma walked forward. I said, "Do it." She sent a powerful psychic blast into the security door, which buckled under the assault. As it fell backwards, I threw a shock grenade into the command room. As it detonated, I charged into the room with my reflexes activated. I saw him near the back of the room recovering from the shock grenade. As I approached, he raised a pistol. I fired a round straight down the barrel of the handgun. The weapon shattered in his hand and peppered him with hot shrapnel. Before he had time to register what was happening, I cold cocked him with the butt of my rifle's stock. I deactivated my reflexes as he collapsed onto the floor. Not satisfied, I dropped my rifle and roughly grabbed him by his expertly tailored black business suit's collar. Hauling him to his feet, I held him steady with my left hand as I delivered a savage series of punches with my right fist. As his face became unrecognizable, I grabbed the back of his head and forced it down hard onto my left knee. As he staggered backwards, I lost control as images of Griffin, Fox, Redd, Keegan, and Stokes played over and over again in my mind. I do not remember when I kicked in his jaw, collapsed his ribcage, shattered his pelvis, and finally kicked in the front of his skull.

The next thing I remember is Alpha 1 pulling me off the bloody mess. He shook me as he held me against one of the walls. As if I had just come out of a trace, I suddenly became aware of my surroundings. My legs were completely covered in blood up to my thighs with bloody pieces of flesh and bone fragments coating my boots. My arms were coated in blood up to my elbows. I was breathing heavily as if I had just been running a marathon. I went to look at the body, but my friend stopped me and guided me outside the room. As we exited the panic room, my com link activated. Sierra 7 reported, "Sir, we have secured means of exfiltration. Rendezvous is on the mansion's roof." I replied, "Roger that Sierra 7. Just be there." He answered, "Yes sir." I questioned Alpha 1, "He is dead right?" He replied in a forced calm voice, "Yes sir. Come on, let's get out of here alright?" I nodded numbly as he guided me through the hallways. Alma gently held my left hand with her right hand as she walked beside us. The trip to the roof went by in a blur as I remained in shock. As we exited out onto the rooftop, a waiting Boeing V-22 Osprey hovered just above the helipad. The loading ramp was down and Sierra 9 motioned for us to board. He helped us into the transport and closed the hatch.

As we flew towards Fairport, I was in a daze. It was not until when we landed several hours later that it hit me: I had beaten a man to death with my bare hands out of anger. I heard gasps from Jin as I passed her. Morales stood and tried to get over to talk to me, but Alpha 1 blocked him and explained what happened. I paid little attention to them as I made my way into the showers. As I stood underneath the deluge of mostly clean water, the full impact of what happened over the course of the mission hit me. I had been shot down, barely escaped death upon landing, lost most of the Sierra team, nearly got my friend killed, traveled through Alma's mind in the form of the hallway, uncovered more of my past from one of the last people I would have wanted to, and then beat that man to death in a blind rage. I turned, placed my back against the tiled wall, and then slid down it.

As I sat there against the wall, I buried my face into my soaked gloves. I did not respond when she sat down beside me. As I had not bothered to take off any of my cloths, she leaned in and said, "Michael, you are going to get sick like this. Come on, let's just…" I flinched away from her as she tried to grasp one of my boots. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me back over to her. She was in her healthy adult form as she knelt down in front of me. I was too shell shocked to do anything other than mindlessly watch her untie my boots before she slipped them off. She placed them and my socks outside the reach of the water. Next, she removed my gloves and vest. She placed them near the discarded boots before she returned. As her hands reached for my belt, dulled alarm bells went off in my mind. I made a halfhearted effort to move away from her but she held me in place. As she unbuckled my belt, unfastened my pants, and undid the zipper, her hands were almost constantly rubbing up against my member. By the time that she had removed my pants and set them aside, it pushed painfully against the cloth prison of my underwear. I breathed deeply in relief as she removed the irritating garment. She removed my shirt and placed it neatly next to the established pile.

Despite being nude before her, my mind was worlds away. She straddled her nude body against mine and raised her hands up to hold either side of my face. She tried to get my attention but her voice sounded distant so I paid her little mind. She sighed and muttered, "Forgive me." She retracted from my body. As I stared off into a corner, I did not see her maneuver herself above my still slightly erect member. As numb as I was, I still shuttered when I felt her mouth descend upon my semi flaccid organ. As she nursed it with her mouth for several minutes, the fog inside my mind slowly lifted. Finally, as she went to descend the shaft once more, I reached up with my right hand, grasped the top of her head, and pulled her all the way down. I held her there for nearly a minute before allowing her to retract. As she did, a trail of saliva connected her mouth to my fully engorged organ. She smirked as she glared at me as if she was daring me to continue. I smirked back as I reached out and grasped both cheeks of her well-toned buttocks. She purred in a sultry tone as I drew her in and lowered her onto my manhood. She moaned softly as I slide inside of her before roughly pushing me back against the tile wall as she moaned loudly as my full length entered her.

For nearly two hours, we fought for dominance like insatiable animals. Each time one of us would make the other climax, the other would respond with increased viciousness and feral tactics. Finally, after two hours, I pushed her off from where she had me pinned in a corner. Grabbing her throat with my right hand, I forced her hard into the tile wall underneath the still running showerhead. She stated to groan in pain but I kissed her to stifle her. While I had her pinned, I slipped back inside her. I was agonizingly close to release so I assaulted her with rapidly increasing fervor. The remains of one of my earlier climaxes trickled down her left leg as I took her underneath the warm shower. Sensing how close and desperate I was, she shifted from the ravenous demon to the nurturing companion. Leaning in, she whispered into my left ear, "That's it Michael, punish the dirty little girl who ruined your life. Come on, teach me a lesson. Treat me like a worthless whore…come on! Come on, I fucking raped you! Come on, return the favor like you want to. That's it…" I cried out in relief as I finally passed the point of no return. As I released inside of her for the final time, she whispered, "Good boy…that's my good boy." I clung to her like a frightened child as she lowered us to the ground. As she held me, she asked, "Feel better?" I really did. In fact, the numbness, the dark presence, and all the frustration I had been suffering from the past few days was gone. I could finally think clearly again. I smiled weakly at her and nodded. Before I could stop it, the afterglow of our actions and the gentle massaging of the flowing water caused me to fall asleep.

A.N.: Like I said…not much of a lemon. Becket is quasi better now though. No more voices in his head so to speak. For now…


	14. Chapter 14

Ch.14

A.N.: I am so sorry it took me so long to post this. What happened was last week, two of my professors were like, "Test, next week." We were all like, "Huh?" Anyway, so I was busy but I kept finding time for this. I hope no one thinks I am getting soft because of this chapter's content. I know F.E.A.R. is a twisted, disturbed, and very unfair story. However, I get tired of killing off characters sometimes. Rest assured, I am planning a few dark chapters. Anyway, enjoy.

Since both my daughter and I were too shaken by our nightmares to go back to sleep, I lit a fire in the fireplace of the main study on the second floor of Wade mansion. As the flames danced in their prison, I leaned back into the red leather high back chair and stared at the fireplace. I reflected that given the amount of time that this enormous building had been abandoned, it was in remarkable shape. In fact, when Alma insisted that we take up residence in her family's old estate, Alpha 1 and I had only encountered a few minor issues that we had to fix. It was odd that she had wanted to live here since she normally shunned away from anything related to her family's legacy. Plus, considering what happened here, most people would have wanted nothing to do this place. Regardless, she seemed attached to this building so I went along with her desire to move in. Both Alma and our daughter sat down a few inches from the fireplace and stared at the flickering lights. Alpha 1 sat down in the chair opposite of mine. For a few minutes, we all simply observed the hypnotic sight of the roaring flames. Both Alpha 1 and I looked towards the replaced door as it slowly opened. We relaxed as the blonde woman entered with a nervous smile. She said, "Sorry, I couldn't sleep." We motioned for her to join us and she quietly closed the door before she walked over. As she sat down between Alpha 1 and me, Alma glanced back at her. I felt her jealousy of the attention the blonde-haired woman got from the men and almost started laughing when her body changed into her attractive healthy form. Luckily, I managed to hold it in. After a moment, the tension was gone and we all resumed staring at the flames. As the moments went by, I felt drawn back to my memory of that horrible night when Fettel tried to destroy us with familiar faces.

I walked into the command room with Alpha 1 and Alma walking on either side of me. Everyone in the room looked up and for a moment, there was an awkward silence. I smirked at their worried faces before I said in a cocky tone, "I'm back." Morales instantly broke out into laughter while Jin, Holiday, and Point Man all noticeably relaxed. I walked over to Morales. When I got to him, he remarked, "Becket, man I was worried that you had finally shot your bolt." I smiled briefly before I replied, "Let's just say that I have faced my demons and come out on top. I am fine for now." I paused as realization hit me and I asked, "Wait, what do you mean by finally?" He replied, "Oh come on man. You know I think of you as a brother and all that cute bs, but you have to admit, you have been acting crazy lately." It was true, so I nodded in response.

He said, "Anyway, things have been pretty quiet since we liberated the city. The Replicas are eliminating the occasional stragglers that they run into in their sweeps. The paranormal activity is getting worse but our boss has made us immune to it. Betters and Shepard upheld their end of the agreement about the senator. The U.S. Military has declared the city an uninhabitable area and awarded us total control over the city and surrounding forests. They even chipped in with the occasional supply drop. Ammunition, munitions, and food mostly. Meanwhile, it seems that the media was quote: accidently leaked information about Armacham's crimes. So, as you can imagine, the public outcry has been enormous. There have already been several riots by vigilantes against some of the ATC centers around the country. The government has no choice. They can't look the other way this time." He looked at Alma, who was in her child form and busying herself with a game of hopscotch, and asked, "Boss?" She paused and looked over at him. He smiled slightly before he informed her, "You are somewhat of a celebrity now. It seems people are captivated by your story." I remarked, "They know about her…disposition?" He replied, "Not quite sure. For the time being though, the public has fallen in love with her so I think we should keep that to ourselves. The truth would complicate things." I nodded as I remarked, "Right…"

Before I could continue, Alpha 1 informed me, "Sir, report from Echo team. There has been a breach at the abandoned Wade Mansion. The intruders are dressed in combat armor. From their vantage point, Echo team's snipers only had time to make out that one was a Caucasian blonde woman. That is why their commander wants your orders about what to do with the individuals." I was beyond shocked at the information. I looked at Morales who returned a similarly shocked look. Alma walked over to me and asked, "Michael, what is it?" I explained, "There was only one woman in Delta Force that was involved with any operations in the Fairport area before the explosion." Manny finished, "Keira Stokes." I shook my head adamantly before I stated confidently, "No. No, that is fucking impossible. She died! I saw her die!" I looked over at Jin, who was sitting in front of a security monitor, and asked, "Miss Kwon, try to bring up the security cameras in the Still Island facility." After a moment of typing on the keypad, she put the frames of security footage on the main screen. We all examined the different views before I saw one that covered the large space containing the amplifier. I gasped when I saw that her body was not there. I looked away and paced while I quietly muttered, "No, she was dead. Her body was cold." Morales suggested, "Maybe her specter? I mean, this is Fairport. Weirder things than that happen here now."

I dismissed the suggestion when I argued, "She isn't psychic. She would not have become a specter and that would not explain the absence of her body." I sighed and spoke into my com link, "Stokes, come in over." Morales stood and walked over to me as he waited for a response. I said, "Lt. Keira Stokes, sound off. Come on Stokes, it is Sgt. Becket. I know you are out there." I nearly jumped when I heard her voice as her image appeared in my HUD. She said in a noticeably relieved tone, "Oh my god! Becket, you are alive! We all thought that you died when the Harbinger Facility exploded." Confused, I questioned, "We? What? I escaped the Harbinger facility remember? We went to the Elementary School afterwards. Sgt. Griffin died…" I was interrupted by Griffin's voice remarking sarcastically, "It is nice that you have faith in your sergeant. Becket, what is your status?" I was dumbfounded by the turn of events. While I was at loss for words, Morales spoke into his com link, "Top? You are alive?" I heard Griffin respond, "Morales? You are alive too? Where the hell have you two been?" We both looked at each other before simultaneously turning to look at Alma. She shook her head before she stated, "I did not do it. I can't read them either, something is blocking me."

Before I could question her further, Griffin said, "Becket? Are you there? What is your status?" Alpha 1 commented, "You know it is a trap. Right?" I nodded before I whispered, "Yes, but let's play along for now." I said into my com link, "Griffin, we are green. What is your location?" He replied, "Outstanding. We are at the Wade Mansion. Some guy named Snake Fist told us that a facility hidden beneath the building has the secret to stopping Alma." I replied, "Great to hear. I am tired of this fucking spook house bullshit. Manny and I are in route to your location with the APC." He said, "Roger that. Just try to get here in one piece. Oh and Becket?" I asked, "Sir?" He replied, "Watch out for whoever this Alma is. Snake Fist said that she is drawn…well he said covets you the most." I said, "Yes sir, I have fought her off several times already. Nothing I can't handle." He stated, "Good to hear. Get to us as fast as you can." Before I could decipher what was happening, Stokes said, "I am glad that you are alive Becket. I was worried that you were gone." Griffin said, "I told you not to worry Stokes. He is tough like me." I laughed sadly as I tried to stay calm. I motioned for Alpha 1 to activate a jammer. Without responding, he withdrew the small handheld device and activated it. With our communication link jammed, I could concentrate on deciding what to do.

Morales said, "Whoever they are, they aren't our friends." I nodded as I thought about the situation. I said, "Wade Mansion…that interests me more than the imposters. Only a few people would willing go there…the trap is meant for me." Morales asked, "Why? What do they want with you? I mean, besides the obvious?" I explained, "It is not me specifically that they want." I paused, looked down at Alma, and placed my right hand on her tiny left shoulder before I continued, "It is you that they want." I looked over at Point Man and said, "And you." He nodded in confirmation. Morales questioned, "Why? Who would be dumb enough to set a trap for Alma and Point Man?" I looked down at Alma when I explained, "Only one person would be." She nodded as she read my thoughts. Morales asked, "You mind enlightening the rest of us?" Out of nowhere, Alpha 1 explained, "Rogue commander Paxton Fettel." Surprised, I looked at him with a questioning look. He shrugged before he said, "There have been rumors. I thought it was all just scuttlebutt paranoia amongst the men sir. We knew about Foxtrot 813, as you recall I was sent on a mission to destroy him, but we lost contact with him once he neared Ground Zero. Several of the men have reported seeing Fettel since then but could never get close enough to positively identify him." I assured him, "Don't worry, I would not have taken the rumors seriously either." Morales asked, "So what now?" I replied, "We go to Wade Mansion." Alma hugged my right leg as she said in concern, "Michael…" I bent down and hugged her as I stated, "Alma, we can't let him hurt her. At least this way, we will be prepared for him." She hugged me tighter before she kissed me quickly and released her grip. I retracted from her as I stood.

I told Alpha 1, "Contact Echo team and order them to encircle the mansion. I don't want anyone entering or leaving the area." He replied, "Yes sir." As he was relaying my orders, I looked over at Point Man and said, "Point Man, accompany Alma and myself to the mansion." Morales questioned, "Becket, man you don't want me to go?" I replied, "Only to transport us in the APC. I don't want you going inside." He nodded and I motioned for everyone to follow as I began walking to the APC. However, I stopped when Alpha 1 started to follow me. I turned around and told him, "Alpha 1, I can't ask you to come with me on this. I nearly got you killed last time." He laughed in his mechanical tone before he said, "No offense sir, but get over yourself. I am going to ensure that you don't get yourself killed whether you want me to or not." I could not help but laugh at his comment. I finally managed to stop laughing long enough to say, "Very well man. Let's go." We all made our way to the APC.

As Morales drove towards the mansion, Alma instructed me on methods to resist possession. When she taught me how to "see" Fettel even if he tried to make himself invisible, I remarked, "That would have been useful when I was chasing Keegan." She giggled at my joke. After about thirty minutes, I heard Morales say, "Becket, we are approaching the mansion." I readied my assault rifle as the APC slowed to a stop. When it stopped, I stood and opened the hatch. Point Man exited and after a few seconds, signaled that the area was all clear. I started to exit but Manny called out, "Hey Becket, good luck man." I stopped and nodded before I exited the armored vehicle. The mansion looked like a cliché haunted house from movies and cartoons with its large but rundown appearance. I was almost disappointed when a swarm of bats was not circling the mansion. I said to my goddess with my mind, "Alma, if things go south, I want you to get Morales and get as far away from this place as you possibly can." She frowned as she replied, "No Michael, I am not going to leave you. I won't go back to being alone. Plus, we both know what she will do if you aren't there to guide her." I sighed before I relented and nodded. We proceeded towards the building. The years of neglect had taken their toll on the exterior and surrounding area. I could not discern if we were walking on the remains of the sidewalk or across the overgrown lawn. When we reached the porch, I heard my daughter's voice inside my mind as she said in her innocent tone, "Be careful daddy. I love you." I smiled slightly before I telepathically replied, "I love you too sweetie." I looked down at Alma and asked, "The block set up?" I was referencing Alpha 1. She nodded even though she had a worried look. I assured her, "Don't worry, I am not worn out like the Becket we saw in the other universe." She smiled slightly but I could still hear her worried thoughts.

As we approached the door, it opened for us. I remarked in a sarcastic tone, "Gee, next thing you know, some guy in a costume is going to harass us until we catch him. Then, he will rant about how he would have gotten away with it if it was not for us meddling kids." Alma replied, "That show is not funny." I said defensively, "What? That show is hysterical. I love the dog." She sighed and shook her head. We proceeded through the open doorway with our weapons at the ready. The air was thick with dust, cobwebs covered various surfaces, and the furniture was covered with yellowed sheets. I telepathically communicated with Echo team's snipers, "Talk to me. Anyone have eyes on target?" I heard various responses, "Negative on contact sir." "No sir, nothing to report." "No movement on the third floor sir." "No contacts at the rear entrance sir." I replied, "Keep me updated. All snipers, you are authorized to take a kill shot against target: Paxton Fettel." They replied, "Copy that sir."

As we proceeded through the main greeting area, we were constantly sweeping the area with our weapons but the entire building was as silent as a graveyard. I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, we have proceeded inside the mansion. What is your location?" I heard her voice reply, "You are here? Excellent. Okay, we are in the second floor main study. There is an elevator in this room according to Snake Fist." I replied, "Copy that." After I did, I questioned, "Everyone catch that?" Point Man and Alma both nodded. Alpha 1 replied, "Yes sir." Echo 2 reported, "Sir, I have relocated and I have a clear view of the second floor main study." I asked, "Copy that Echo 2, what can you tell me?" He informed me, "Power is out. The room is too dark to make out anything definite. Standby, switching to thermal." After a moment, he continued, "I have eyes on five definite contacts inside the room. Cannot identify them, but they are there sir. Do I engage?" I replied, "Negative. Keep your eyes on them, but do not engage until you are authorized to do so." Echo 2 replied, "Roger that sir." As we made our way towards the stairs, I wondered what possible trick could Fettel have pulled. Whoever the imposters were, they had body heat, which meant that they were not specters. Like Alma, specters felt like ice to the touch. It was possible that Fettel had projected the illusion of my deceased squad mates being in the room but the thermal scope would see them as black voids. As far as I could tell, a single psychic could only possess one individual at a time and, even then, only for a short period.

Sensing my thoughts, Alma commented, "I am puzzled too my love. Your friends…they really are gone. I absorbed most of them. Once I absorb someone, that is it for them. They cannot even exist as a specter at that point. I can create the illusion of their presence to lure other people closer to me, but it is not really them. The one you call Keegan, he is gone too. You killed his psychic signature. That is as dead as one can get. My son…he is strong…but even I cannot possess multiple people…I have tried on several occasions. The result is…messy. If he possessed someone, his or her body would have been used up long before we got here." By that time, we had reached the second floor landing. The main study was in the left wing. As we approached the door that led into the study, I whispered, "Everyone, activate your strobes." After we all did, I contacted Echo 2 and said, "Echo 2, four friendlies about to enter the study. Do not shoot anyone with a strobe." He replied, "Yes sir." We arrived at the hardwood door. Inside, I could make out my squad mates' voices. I knew that they were not my friends but I still felt guilty for what I was about to do. I pushed my emotions aside as I rallied my nerves. I motioned for Alpha 1 and Point Man to take position. I positioned myself against the wall to the right of the door, Alpha 1 positioned himself just to the left of the door, Point Man positioned himself to the left of Alpha 1, and Alma stood back from the front of the door about a foot. I reminded myself, "Just another enemy."

I said to Alma with my mind, "Do it." The air around her shimmered and pulsed as she gathered her strength. After a few seconds, she unleashed a powerful blast of psychic energy that pulverized the door where it stood. As I charged through the doorway, I activated my reflexes. The main study looked like one would expect with a hardwood interior, fireplace, a large desk in front of a fancy window, and a small archive of assorted books alphabetized on a bookshelf against one of the walls. As I entered the room, I saw Redd with his back to me, Fox behind the desk with his back to the window, Keegan conversing with Redd, Griffin facing one of the corners as if he was attempting to locate the elevator, and Stokes examining the fireplace. They were all slowly reacting to the sound of the door exploding from Alma's blast but their reaction time was noticeably average. In a way, that helped me justify my future actions because the real Griffin and Fox underwent the Harbinger surgical procedures like I had. They would have had noticeably faster reactions than these imposters were demonstrating.

I aimed my rifle and fired a burst into Redd's skull. Blood and brain matter confirmed the kill so I switched to Keegan. I aimed at Keegan and fired a burst. By that time, Griffin had turned and opened fire with his assault rifle. A few rounds hit my torso but thanks to my vest, they only stung. Worst case was a broken rib leading to internal bleeding and tissue or organ damage. However, as I felt no sharp stabbing pain, I believed that I had escaped serious damage. I knew I had suffered soft tissue damage unfortunately. From behind me, Alpha 1 ran in front of me and intercepted the incoming fire. As Griffin's rounds ricocheted off Alpha 1's armor, the Replica fired his scavenged SHO Series-3 Combat Shotgun. Because of the short distance between the two men, Griffin's body exploded into pieces from the impact of the shot. I heard the slow but powerful fire rate signature of the Point Man's G2A2 assault rifle as he dispatched Fox. I directed my attention towards Stokes. She seemed in shock, but that was perfectly understandable given the situation. I deactivated my reflexes as I motioned for everyone to hold their fire. As I held my rifle aimed steady at her, I said, "Stokes, lower your weapon. I don't want to hurt you." Her SMG shook as she trembled in fright. She said in a wobbly voice, "Becket…you…why? Why…did you...oh my god, your eyes…what?"

I lowered my rifle slightly as I calmly replied, "Easy, I can explain. Those men were not who you thought they were. Come on Keira, it's me. You can trust me. Look…" I slowly bent down onto my knees and gently placed my rifle on the floor. I slowly stood and smiled at her. I motioned for everyone to do the same. Alpha 1 immediately mimicked me, but Point Man out right refused to willingly disarm himself. I shrugged at Stokes as I remarked, "Okay, I can't help that he is a tight ass." She seemed unconvinced as she eyed my pistol. Sighing, I grasped my pistol, released the clip, which fell to the floor, and then tossed the empty weapon so it landed at her feet. Finally convinced, she lowered her weapon. Hiding her fear by putting up a strong, authoritative front, she asked, "Becket, what the fuck is going on?" I smirked as I thought to myself, "Damn, I should become a politician after this." I focused and replied, "SNAFU is what is happening." I proceeded to tell her all the events that had occurred after we escaped the Harbinger facility, and since the amplifier. I left out the events that happened in the amplifier so she could generate her own explanation for why she could not remember what happened. I could tell she did not approve of my partnership with Alma, but she accepted it regardless. She asked, "So what now?" I replied, "Let's find this elevator Fettel mentioned." She nodded before she bent down and retrieved my sidearm. After handing it to me, she returned to analyzing the room. I loaded my pistol with the discarded magazine and cocked it before returning it to its holster. I spoke into my com link, "Manny, I have neutralized the imposters. I am attempting to locate the elevator." He replied, "Dirty business but good job man." Alpha 1 handed me my rifle as he said, "Your weapon sir." I thanked him. Point Man was analyzing the room, but suddenly, he froze. I heard it too, and so did Alma. Inside our minds, the arrogant voice I had heard only once before said, "Hello mother and dearest brother. We can finally have a proper family reunion. After all, family is the most important thing."

I replied in a threatening tone, "Fettel…" The voice interrupted me, "Ah…mother's little lover. You are stronger than I anticipated…not bad for being a manufactured psychic soldier. No matter, you Delta Force grunts are weak. What makes you think you are worthy of mother?" I replied, "You are the one hiding behind my old squad mates. You are unworthy of that shell that you inhabit Fettel. Foxtrot 813 was twice the soldier you could ever be." He laughed in his maniacal way before he said, "Is that so? Oh please, he was nothing more than a tool. Like you are to mother…" Alma snapped, "Stop!" He said, "Mother, he is nothing but cannon fodder. What do you care? Do you really care about some…peasant more than one of your own flesh and blood?" She replied in a strange, chilling tone, "You disobeyed mommy. What you have turned into…you are no son of mine. My children are respectful of their mother. I told you not to resurrect yourself but no…you had to be a rebellious child. You are your father's son. Not mine." His voice was filled with anger when he said, "Both of you are disappointments. You have let this…Becket make you soft. After I kill him and his pathetic bodyguard, you will both see that. Then, we can become gods like we were meant too."

I issued my ultimatum, "Shut the fuck up and put your money where your mouth is." He replied, "Come and get me super soldier." His presence lifted. Alpha 1 remarked, "Pathetic bodyguard? Fettel can kiss the most armored part of my ass." I raised my right eyebrow briefly before I asked, "You heard that?" He explained, "You have a link with all the Replica soldiers sir. We all heard that." Despite the situation, I felt panic as a thought occurred to me. I asked, "Have you heard anything…else…like recently?" He laughed before he replied, "You mean those two hours you were bonking Miss Wade? Yeah…we heard that too. By the way, we had a bet about how long you two were going to last and I won. Which, is why I now have this…" He placed his shotgun onto his back before he retrieved a brutal looking revolver that was red except for the stainless steel barrel with built in compensators. I asked, "What the fuck is that thing?" He replied, "The Hammer. Group of recon boys found her in the ruins of Ground Zero. Apparently, it used to belong to Fettel. Packs one hell of a punch but the compensators keep it from kicking like a mule." I remarked, "Nice…anyway, let's get back to the elevator." He nodded so I resumed my search of the room. Stokes glared at me because of the revelation of the depth of Alma's and my relationship, but I ignored her.

The elevator, if it existed, would be hidden in plain sight. The method of concealment would leave telltale marks on its surrounds. A scrape, a slightly off-center panel, a mismatched pair of objects, or even something as obvious as a seam would give away its location. I became suspicious of the far right corner. The room was well furnished except for that one corner. It was purposely made so obvious to even a casual observer that he or she would dismiss it. I walked over to the bare wall and carefully felt the area with my gloved left hand. It was hot the touch. Something was on the other side of it that much was clear. Now, I just needed to find out how to gain access to the elevator. Activating the flashlight on my HUD glasses, I scrutinized the entire wall. After a moment, I located a panel of wood that did not exactly match its surrounds. I kicked it. Behind me, Stokes remarked, "Ah, how I missed your delicate touch." I laughed sarcastically at her in retaliation. My laugh caught in my throat when I saw the dark expression on my paramour's face. She was glaring at the oblivious Stokes with a look that could very well kill. I assured her through our bond, "Alma, no. She is just a friend. We never were anything other than that. You know that already." She replied with malice in her voice, "Harlot…" Before I could reason with her further, Alpha 1 got my attention. He motioned back towards the wall. When I turned back, I saw that the entire wall had disappeared and a freight elevator was left in its place.

I motioned for Point Man and Alpha 1 to follow me as I walked towards it. When I reached it, I realized that it had a built in security failsafe. Once it traveled to the bottom of the shaft, there was no way for anyone in the underground facility to operate the elevator. The only call button was located at this aboveground entrance. I was uneasy about the discovery. The only reason that ATC would have gone to such extremes would be to prevent whatever it was in the facility from escaping. I said, "Stokes, the elevator can only be called by someone up here. Stay here." She started to argue but I cut her off, "Stokes…Keira, please stay here. If something happens to us, go the APC. Manny will be there and he knows what to do." She said, "Becket…" I interrupted her, "Keira, this is not a discussion. Stay here." Not waiting for her to respond, I entered the open steel mesh enclosed freight elevator. Alpha 1 was right behind me and Point Man joined us within a minute. I pressed the button and the safety gate closed. As we descended, Alma materialized in front of me. Her face was set in her trademark emotionless façade. However, beneath that front, I could sense that she was deeply upset by having to confront one of her own children. I said into her mind, "We are doing this for her." She replied in my mind, "Yes…for her." We arrived at the landing. The elevator locked into place before the safety gate opened.

We stepped out with our weapons at the ready. The facility definitely had not been used in quite some time. The once white walls were covered with accumulated dust and cobwebs. Ahead of us, I could hear heavy machinery. As we came to the first corner, I motioned for everyone to stop. Focusing, I felt weightless once again as I projected myself around the corner. What I saw disturbed me, which, at this point, was a noteworthy feat. I saw an open warehouse style interior, but the thing that disturbed me was the fact that there were five Griffins, four Keegans, three Redds, and, worst of all for my sanity, six Beckets. Returning to my body, I reported, "Eighteen hostiles. Six of them look like me. Fuck…we are going to end up shooting each other." After thinking for a moment, I asked Alma, "Alma, can you somehow highlight me so Point Man and Alpha 1 know which Becket is me?" She nodded and my body soon had a green aura. I looked back at the two men following me. They nodded in acknowledgement. I turned back to the corner. After sighing, I activated my reflexes as I charged around the corner. I fired a burst into the first Redd, dove behind a shipping crate to dodge a barrage of lead, waited for them to reload, peaked around the left edge of the crate, and shot a red barrel to eliminate three Beckets and two Keegans. By that time, Point Man had killed three Griffins and the other two Redds. Alpha 1 was close behind me as he leaned around the right of the crate. I heard the report of his shotgun as the last two Keegans fell to the concrete floor. The remaining three Beckets and two Griffins regrouped. The three versions of me covered the two Griffins as they went to gain an elevated shooting position. Alpha 1 cooked a frag grenade before heaving it clear across the room. It exploded within inches of the two Griffins. Blood and chucks decorated the surrounding space afterwards. I picked off one of the Beckets as his head popped up from behind cover. The two remaining Beckets were concentrating on Alpha 1 and me so much that they failed to notice Point Man as he flanked their position. After a short burst from his assault rifle, he deactivated his reflexes. He motioned the all clear and I deactivated my reflexes. After we regrouped, we scavenged ammunition from the imposters. As we did, Alpha 1 commented, "They are like us sir." He was referencing the Replicas. His comment caused me to realize that he was right. The same process used to create the Replicas likely created these strange individuals. Therefore, they were just puppets. I should not feel bad for killing them. I wondered if Fettel was their commander but Alma stated in my mind, "No, I made the new Replicas immune to his influence. These…clones are new because their auras are fresh. He cannot control them, but he is manipulating them with old-fashioned trickery." I replied, "Snake Fist and you then?" She smiled as she commented with our bond, "Yes, very good my love." I shrugged slightly before motioning for us to press on. As we continued deeper into the facility, it reminded me of the outer shell of the Harbinger Facility, but in reverse. As we waded through squads of mixed ratios, we passed strange machinery that I could only guess was machinery ATC used to create clones. I wondered what had caused ATC to abandon the facility. In the history of the corporation, as far as I knew, only the Origin facility was proverbially abandoned in place. It had taken Alma herself to cause ATC to seal the expensive facility. What could have caused this facility to be abandoned? And why was the elevator rigged with the security measure?

As I led the way around another corner, I literally bumped into my answer. I looked down to discover a red dress clad raven-haired child. Confused, I asked, "Alma? What were you doing ahead of us?" However, when I sensed that she was not my Alma, I backed away with my rifle raised at the child's head. I was suddenly besieged by a burning sensation in my extremities. Unable to shoot my weapon due to the unbearable pain, I called out, "Shoot the bitch!" Alpha 1 rushed forward and bashed the girl's face with the butt of his shotgun. As she was disorientated on the concrete floor, he raised his right boot above her head. He stomped down hard enough to crush her skull. After I had recovered, I remarked, "What the hell?" Alpha 1 said, "Sorry sir, I was in the middle of reloading." I replied, "No, not that. That was…" Alma, the real one, materialized in front of the dead child. After she studied her, she remarked, "Hmm…old aura. She was older than the clones you have been facing." I asked, "Was she the reason the facility was abandoned?" Alma shook her head before she replied, "She is still too young. I am feeling something strange in the area just ahead of us." I motioned for the two men to follow as she made her way down the hallway as if she was in a trance. When she turned the corner, she gasped. The three of us rushed forward and turned the corner prepared to unload on the first thing that moved. However, we too stopped dead in our tracks. I was so stunned that I nearly dropped my rifle. The room was filled with rows upon rows of spherical devices. Each device had a nude adult Alma clone contained within them.

There must have been hundreds of them, and they were all still very much alive. I finally managed to say, "Holy fucking shit! They were creating an army of Replica Alma soldiers. No wonder the facility was sealed. When you caused the first synchronicity event, they must have feared that you would do the same with your clones." Alma was shaking with fury. I was just as furious as she was due to our bond. ATC had not only stolen her life, and her children. They had stolen her. They had created more of her like she was some document to be copied. As we walked down the center of the stored clones, I prayed that they would not wake up. Even cloned and unconscious, I could feel them following our every movement. Armacham's stupidity was out shadowed only by their admittedly ambitious projects. If they had been able to create an army of Alma clones that were completely under control, the fortune that they would have amassed from selling them to the highest bidders would have made them billionaires several times over. However, even at a genetic level, Alma seemed too resistant to control. I remembered what Halford had said, "Alma is too powerful to be contained; she probably always was." The last two rows were child clones. I noticed that one of the devices was empty. I remarked, "That would account for the clone we just ran into." Effectively unnerved by the clones, I hastily made my way to the exit of the room. We continued in an uneasy silence. Finally, after wading through more squads of cloned members of Dark Signal, we approached the central control room like the one in the outer shell of the Harbinger facility. Through the glass panels surrounding the room, I saw a Variant II Replica standing with his back towards us. The Replica was missing his helmet, and I could make out black hair. Alpha 1 said, "Foxtrot 813 sir." He then asked, "Sir, I know we need to kill Fettel, but…is there some way we can…" I finished, "Save Foxtrot 813?" He replied, "Yes sir."

I thought for a moment. If there were a way, Foxtrot would certainly be a valuable asset. I looked at Alma. She shrugged before she explained, "It might be possible. If there is some sentient part of him that is still inside his mind, he might be too weak to fight back against Fettel's control without aid. That might explain why that body is still alive. If you weaken Fettel's spirit enough, I might be able to separate them. There is no guarantee and I have never tried to do something like that before. Without a body to control, my son is significantly weaker. I can erase him in that state." I replied, "But, I thought you said that Fettel destroyed Foxtrot's mentality so he could possess him." She said, "Yes, but perhaps not completely. Even if there is only a trace left, he would re-control his body after Fettel is removed. I could then make Foxtrot immune to Fettel. I should have thought of that before but I was too busy trying to seduce you." I smirked before I commented, "Seduce…more like terrorize." She rolled her eyes for the first time. I nodded and said, "Alright then, let's see if we can save Foxtrot 813." I walked forward. I raised my left hand and pounded on the glass. As I did, I yelled, "Fettel! Open this door! Come on, are you a man or a coward?" He turned to face me with a sneer. With a smug tone, he said, "You know sergeant, you remind me of my brother. I hate him too. I will kill you both. Then, mother will have no choice but to keep me." I replied, "Well, open the door and kill us then!" He pressed a button on the keyboard nearest to him and the door opened.

I activated my reflexes as I charged into the room all while I was unloading with my rifle. I emptied my entire clip into the possessed Replica, but he barely flinched. Point Man unloaded with his assault rifle to cover Alpha 1's charge with his shotgun. I had to deactivate my reflexes to conserve my energy as I reloaded my rifle. When Alpha 1 got close with his shotgun, Fettel blasted him with a psychic burst, sending him backwards through the air a few feet. As I finished reloading, Point Man's assault rifle clicked as it ran out of ammunition. Not wasting time by reloading, the older brother threw his weapon aside. He began duel-wielding MP-970s. As Fettel dodged his brother's barrage, I raised my rifle. I could not fire because if I missed, I would have potentially hit Point Man. Fettel knocked his brother off his feet and into one of the security consoles with a psychic blast. After he hit the console, a red light filled the room as an automated warning message said, "Specimen stasis feed discontinued." Before I could worry about what that meant, I heard Alpha 1 say, "Sir, stun him!" I looked back to see Alpha 1 wielding an Andra SR5 Missile Launcher. I tossed my last shock grenade at Fettel. He cursed as electricity arched along his body. Before he could recover, Alpha 1 fired his launcher. The unguided warhead stuck the possessed Replica but due to his enhanced hardiness, he flew against the far wall of glass rather than exploding. As he groaned, the automated message returned and said, "Warning, specimen containment failure. Facility compromised. Self-destruct sequence activated. All personnel must evacuate immediately."

Fettel retreated out of the room and down the hallway. I charged after him. He made it to the large window similar to the one that Col. Vanek had taunted me from in the Harbinger facility before I ran Foxtrot down. Before we could fight, the steel door at the end of the hallway flew open. As we both investigated the disturbance, an Alma clone ran towards as we both raised a weapon to kill her. However, before we could fire, she threw us both harshly up against the large window. The glass threatened to give way under the strain as she kept us pinned there. I heard her mutter, "Die! Everyone will die!" She shrieked as she dissolved into a bloody skeleton. My Alma in her child form stalked within view as I fell back onto the ground. I ducked to dodge Fettel's high kick and countered with my own psychic blast. He was clearly shocked by the attack as he smashed into the concrete wall. I tossed my rifle aside before I restrained him. After I had him restrained, I called out, "Alma, now!" She teleported before us and reached into Foxtrot's chest. Fettel roared, "No!" Alma's eyes narrowed as she concentrated. I sent a continuous barrage of bone crunching punches into Foxtrot's abdomen. Finally, after several draining minutes, Alma emitted a grunt as she withdrew her hands. In her grasp was a ghostly Paxton. As she separated her son's specter from the Replica soldier, I saw the besieged soldier's arms reach up and grasp the spirit that had been possessing him. As he thrust Fettel's spirit out of him, I heard him say in a voice similar to Fettel's, "Get…out…of…ME!"

With a final exertion by all parties, Alma pulled Fettel out of Foxtrot 813. However, before she could destroy him, Fettel escaped her grasp and possessed an approaching Becket clone. After a brief struggle, the clone had a red aura. He rushed forward towards me. Point Man tried to intercept him, but Fettel pushed his brother aside. He dodged Alma's psychic blast as he passed her. At the last second, Alpha 1 tackled him. However, with his momentum, Fettel was still able to propel the three of us through the weakened glass and down onto the hard concrete floor below us. I landed hard on my back. The impact knocked the breath out of me. Stunned and temporarily unable to breathe, I tried to recover. I saw the possessed Becket stagger towards me. Fettel did not have much longer in the possessed body. I heard Alpha 1 grunt, "Sir…here." I glanced over to my left to see my friend slide The Hammer towards me. I grasped it with my right hand just in time for the possessed Becket to descend upon me. I pressed The Hammer's business end against Fettel's head as we entered a psychic battle. As our wills fought for dominance, I remembered watching the Becket in the other universe die. My anger resurfaced. Black and burning inside my mind, it fill me with its powerful influence. He taunted, "You are weak. Too weak for mother." My eyes narrowed and I made it a point that the last thing he ever saw was a mental image of Alma and me during our beautiful union beneath the flowing warm water of the shower. As he finished seeing the image, I smirked before pulling The Hammer's trigger. The back of the possessed Becket's head exploded outwards. As he dissolved into ashes, Fettel roared out, "No!" His voice faded as the body dissolved like Keegan's body had inside Alma's nightmare world.

Before either Alpha 1 or I could stand, explosions erupted all around us and the very ground beneath us gave way. As we fell downwards, I noticed that we seemed to be going beneath the facility itself. It was probably around two to three stories of falling before we landed in rapidly flowing water. I realized that it was a naturally occurring underground river running underneath the building. As we struggled to keep our heads above the water, our bodies occasionally smashed against submerged rock formations. Just when I thought that we were going to die, I saw a light at the end of the underground passage. Horrified, I realized that we were headed for an enormous waterfall. I called out, "Grab something!" Before he could reply, we went over the edge. For a brief moment, I felt a strange sense of exhilaration before my stomach dropped as we free fell through the foamy water. I saw jagged rock formations at the bottom and closed my eyes as we descended closer. I inhaled just before penetrating the surface of the water.

I opened my eyes and searched for my friend. The force of the waterfall kept pushing me down further so I had no choice but to swim away from the powerful force of nature. I had to fight from panicking as I faced the heart-wrenching prospect of having gotten my best friend killed. I would have let out a sigh of relief as I saw him making his way for the shoreline. I swam towards him. Within seconds, we had broken the surface of the now calm water. We collapsed onto our backs on the sandy shore surrounded by dense forests. I laughed painfully due to my damaged ribs when I realized that I was still grasping The Hammer in my right hand. I handed it over to Alpha 1 as I remarked, "Your weapon." He joined in with laughter despite the obvious pain it caused him. He took it and holstered the revolver. With my right boot still in the water, I placed my left hand on the chest of my vest as I looked up at the stars. This far from the Origin and Harbor explosions, the stars were perfectly visible in the night sky. I had spent so much time in cities that the chance to do something as simple as stare at the stars was rare. The frigid bite of the water soaking my gear was barely registered as I lost myself in the simple beauty of the balls of light. As a boy, I could remember gazing up at the night sky from my window while I waited for Alma to come visit me. As I lay there, I wondered if I would be able to see my goddess's face again. I certainly wanted too, but my body was deteriorating and I could already fell the headache from the illness I had caught from being exposed out in the open with frigid gear. I passed out and sank into darkness.

The next thing I remember was waking up in a warm cot with Alma cuddled up against my unarmored body. I tried to move, but she whispered, "No Michael, let your body rest. That brunette…Miss Kwon, she said that it is a miracle you two survived the rocks. You cracked a few of your ribs but she said that there is nothing she can do about that." Despite her advice, I tried to raise myself to look around as I asked, "Alpha 1…he is alright?" She placed her soft hands on my bare chest and guided me back down onto the cot. She placed her head on my right shoulder before she said, "Yes, he is alright. He is asleep over there where he normally sleeps." I relaxed against the cot and savored her presence. I asked, "Stokes, Foxtrot…what about them?" She replied, "Safe. Stokes and Manny were very worried about you when an Echo scout found you two on the shore. Foxtrot 813 claims that he remembers very little about what happened after Fettel reached out to him. He is resting too. He has a personality…it is somewhat cute in a strange sort of way. He reminds me of you." I asked, "What about the clones?" She shook her head and I was overcome with relief that there were not a bunch of Almas running around. She asked, "Michael, I did not want to intrude your memories while you were asleep. So…my son?" I sighed before I said, "I killed him. He was trying to possess me." She nodded and expressed a brief look of sorrow before she smiled slightly at me. I tried to return the smile, but I suddenly coughed. For the first time since I awoke, I noticed that my nose was congested. She placed her cold left hand on top of my forehead. I moaned in pleasure as it brought relief to my throbbing head. She explained, "Both of you have mild viral infections. Miss Kwon said that the fever should go away within a day or two." In her healthy adult form, she was able to wrap her entire body around mine. Much like she had when I was a child, she cradled me gently to allow her body to act as an ice pack for my aching body. I pulled her closer and I drifted back off into the darkness, I whispered, "Mommy." She whispered back, "Shh…sleep now. Mommy take care of her Michael."

A.N.: This week has been exhausting. I hope it was worth the wait. I tried.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch.15

A.N.: Geez, I have so much work to do. I apologize for taking so long to write this. I hope it was worth the wait. To everyone patiently waiting for my updates, I am grateful and humbled by you. I have listed some translations/explanations for some of the lingo used in the chapter. Just a heads up, a lemon may be present in the next chapter. I will update again as soon as I can. I would like to reemphasize that I want to assure everyone that I am working on this whenever I get free time. So, do not get discouraged if it takes me a while to update. It is going to happen and this will be completed.

_De Oppresso Liber_ is Latin for Liberate the Oppressed. It is last line in the Special Forces Creed.

ROE-Rules of Engagement.

Old lady-sometimes used as a nickname for a soldier's rifle.

Sea Pup- Navy recruit. Mainly used by a higher-ranking individual when he or she addresses a recruit but can also be used to insult someone of less experience. Similar to FNG or Fucking New Guy.

"We should name ourselves the Spartans." Morales said through the com link. I sighed as I kneeled down in front of the main breaker box that I was working on. The Origin Explosion had damaged the electrical grid for the harbor area and the sporadic power outages were becoming a nuisance. It turned out that the Replicas were trained for more than combat. They were all exceptional at fixing various mundane things like the sewage, electrical, and communication systems. If all the breaker replacements that I found were functional, then the electrical system for the entire port section of the city would work now. I stepped back from the huge panel and spoke into my com link, "Manny, why would we name ourselves after a Greek city-state that was dedicated to absolutely nothing but war? Also, go ahead and flip the switch." He replied from where he was at the city power plant, "Exactly, we are basically our own country that is inside of a larger country and we are all elite soldiers. Okay, here it comes." I exhaled in relief when the lights lit up and stayed lit. I said into my com link, "Miss Kwon, the main electrical line is repaired. Go ahead and take the command room off the generators." She replied, "Copy that Becket." I said to Morales, "Manny, the Spartans killed the newborns that they believed to be weak by having their mothers throw them off a cliff. Plus, their decisions we made by a group of elders using the advice given to them by the Oracle of Delphi." He replied, "Again exactly! Alma and you lead the Replicas. What do call her?"

I closed my eyes and rubbed them with my gloved left hand as I replied, "Fine…since you won't stop pestering me about it, we will call our little shithole Sparta. Happy? Also, it worked. Come on back." He eagerly said, "Yes! Awesome! Alright, I am headed back." I dropped my hand and opened my eyes. I was startled as Alma's haunting and beautiful face appeared inched in front of me as I opened my eyes. She smiled and remarked, "Aw…did I scare you?" After I calmed myself, I replied, "No. I was just startled. There is a difference." She giggled as her body morphed back into her child form. I still had to get used to her little hide and seek games. As I walked out of the service area, from beside me, Alpha 1 asked, "What is Sparta sir?" As we walked, I explained, "Sparta was a Greek city-state that is remembered because of how disciplined and dangerous their army was. During a war with Persia, they immortalized their place in history with a stand by a small group of around three hundred of their hoplite infantry led by Leonidas and a couple thousand soldiers from other city-states. The Persian army had around eighty thousand troops but Leonidas and his Spartans held them off at a narrow area of land called the Thermopylae Pass for two days. On the third day, Leonidas and his men plus around fifteen hundred other Greek soldiers made a fatal stand in the pass so the rest of the Greek forces could retreat. A fellow Greek betrayed them by informing the Persian king of a small path that led around the Spartans. The path was supposed to be still guarded at this time by a group of soldiers from one of the city-states. However, those soldiers panicked and abandoned their post. The Persian army attacked the small force from all sides. This is what history remembers as the Final Stand of the Three Hundred Spartans. Early in the battle, Leonidas was killed and his men fought fiercely to prevent his body being defiled by the Persians. While it is unknown if the other Greek soldiers surrendered at this point in the stand, it is well known that the remaining Spartans were defiant until the end and they regrouped around the body of Leonidas for one final stand. The Persian king ordered his archers to kill them. The Spartans viewed archery as something that only cowards practiced so they had no way to return fire as the Persian archers fired upon them. All the three hundred Spartans were killed. Their sacrifice inspired the rest of the Greek forces and they eventually defeated the much larger invading Persian army. Greece was saved and Leonidas and his Spartans were immortalized into history."

By that time, we had left the service area and had to pause to let a formation of Replicas march past us as they saluted in unison. We saluted back. As he watched his brethren march away, Alpha 1 commented in a distant and longing tone, "I like that…being defiant until the end." He laughed slightly before he turned back to look at me as he asked, "So I guess we are the Spartans now?" I groaned in an irritated manner as I replied, "It appears so." I changed the subject as I walked towards the tower. I said, "Speaking of a small force, we need more soldiers. The few hundred that we have now are great for this city but now that we are going after Armacham in other areas of the world, we need more manpower. If we don't, we are going to overextend our forces and leave ourselves vulnerable." He questioned, "Sir, since ATC had the facilities that created my brethren here, why don't we just create more?" I explained, "We don't have the logistics to gear and arm the number of Replica soldiers that we will need." Alpha 1 replied, "I thought our boss can warp reality. Who needs logistics when you have her?" Before I could reply, Alma materialized next to me as she commented, "Reality is my bitch. I can create anything Michael. What do we need?" I said, "Yes, but when you create things, they end up being…well…twisted and feral. Like those dog things. We need Replicas that are unaltered and completely normal. Err…normal for a Replica anyway. Thanks for the offer, but we need to find some other way to create more soldiers." We had arrived at the tower and Gamma 3 saluted before he opened the door.

Several days later, I was cleaning my pistol when Morales walked up to me. I looked up at him to see that he had a stunned look on his face. Concerned, I asked, "What? What happened?" He said in a strange tone, "Come up to the observation deck. Alma has something to show you." I looked over at Alpha 1, who was cleaning his newly acquired automatic shotgun, but he shrugged in response to my implied question. I stood and followed Manny up to the observation deck. When I arrived, Stokes was waiting on the inside of the door. She had a similar look of disbelief on her attractive face. She motioned towards Alma who was smirking at me from where she stood against the ornate rail. I noticed that the rest of the Delta Force operatives and F.E.A.R. operatives were on the deck as well. As I walked past them and up to Alma, I asked her, "Okay, what is so important that you got everyone?" She continued to smirk as she ignored me. Finally, after I reached her, she turned around and pointed downwards. I looked from her down to the main road in the harbor. As I saw what her big surprise was, I stammered, "Holy shit…"

The main road was completely filled from the tower to the harbor entrance with Replica soldiers. They were standing at attention in formation and when I walked up to the rail, they all simultaneously saluted me. I saluted them back before I yelled, "At ease!" The thunderous roar of thousands of boots hitting the paved surface at exactly the same time rocked the harbor as the new Replicas shifted to stand at ease. I turned and looked at my goddess. With an alarming amount of insecurity in her eyes, she asked timidly, "Did I do alright?" Taken aback by her question, I replied, "Y-Yes. Why?" I suddenly remembered what I had said about her tendencies with the things she created with her mind. I pulled her close as I apologized, "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry. This is amazing. You are amazing." She smiled before she pushed me away so she could look at the new Replicas that she had created. I asked, "How long did that take?" She replied, "I had to materialize them one at a time to prevent any issues. It took me all day yesterday. I had a patient model though." I asked, "Model? Who...?" Foxtrot 813 interrupted me from where he stood behind Alpha 1 when he said, "I volunteered sir. It was the least I could do after all the trouble I caused." I stared at him for a moment before I said, "Thank you soldier." He nodded in response. Beside me, Alpha 1 informed me, "Their commanders have reported in. Fifteen thousand soldiers sir…exactly." I nodded as thirty Hind gunships appeared. In perfect synchronicity, the helicopters moved to hover above the new soldiers. Overhead, twenty flights of F-22 Raptors roared past us and above them, I saw ten AC-130s flying above the harbor in formation. Alpha 1 said, "I will inform the service teams at the hidden runways to prepare for the new arrivals and have the Engineering Corps start constructing more barracks." I nodded before I asked Alma, "You created all of this in a single day?" She shrugged as she explained, "It would not have taken that long normally but I did not want to make a mistake." I laughed at her humility before I said, "Yes because I too can create thousands of highly trained and heavily armed super soldiers out of thin fucking air." She snorted before she started giggling. I turned back to the new Replica soldiers. Projecting my voice, I yelled, "Spartans…De Oppresso Liber!" The harbor was filled with the deafening sound of fifteen thousand Replicas simultaneously yelling, "Yes sir!" After I reeled in the power trip I was having, I turned and addressed the crowd on the deck, "Okay, show's over. Get back to work."

The next day, as I was reading the new roster of the forces under my command, Morales barged into my makeshift office. Before I could ask what the problem was, he grabbed me by my vest and dragged me out of the room. We ended up in the command room and I noticed that the main monitor had news coverage on it. Morales let go as he motioned towards the monitor. I looked at the screen and watched the report. A middle-aged Asian woman in a causal business suite was standing in front of what appeared to be a group of U.S. troops that were piling up bodies of civilians as she was saying in a distressed tone, "…leaving hundreds dead in the streets. This is only the most recent event in the escalating violence between the U.S. Military and ATC's private army. Hours ago, ATC seized control of a base containing ICBM silos. However, the crisis on everyone's mind is the kidnapping of the president only hours ago by a group of ATC soldiers during a press conference. So far, no demands have been made and no one knows where he was taken." Looking away, I said aloud, "Fuck…that is going to be a problem. The president has access codes to the ICBMs. If they get him to tell them the codes, we are fucked. Any ideas where they took him?" Jin said from where she was sitting in front of a monitor, "Alice." Confused, I asked, "Who is she?" Jin shook her head and explained, "No, Alice is an oceangoing cruise liner owned by Armacham. They used her to transport their VIPs in luxury. She is just off the eastern seaboard in international water. I would bet they took him there." I replied, "Excellent work Miss Kwon. Get me all the information can you on her." I looked at Alpha 1 and said, "Get the men ready." As he nodded, I looked at Morales and said, "Manny, get everyone else rounded up." Alpha 1 asked, "How are we getting to her sir?" I thought for a moment before I mused aloud, "A stealth approach would be the best. Too bad we don't have a…" Alma finished beside me, "Submarine?"

I looked at her with a questioning look. She raised her arms up and said in an unsure tone, "What is the expression…tadda?" My com link activated and one of the Replica snipers said, "Sir, an unidentified submarine just surfaced in the harbor. What are your orders?" Looking at Alma, who had lowered her arms and cocked her head to the left, I replied, "Stand down. It is a friendly." Morales's expression lit up as he said, "Submarine? Becket, you remember our deal right?" Groaning, I said, "Yes, I remember that I said hijack." He smiled before he said, "Don't do me like that man. Come on…" I laughed slightly before I replied, "I am kidding man. She is all yours." Morales suddenly rushed past me and scooped up Alma. As he twirled her around in the air while he held her child form with his hands, he said, "Yes, my own submarine! O thank you sweetie!" She giggled as if they were playing a game. When he finally lowered her back to the ground, my paramour ran over to me and hugged my left leg as she eyed my excited friend with concern. I laughed at the sight before I placed my left hand on her head. She looked up at me and mockingly threatened, "I told you about my hair." I feigned innocence and gave her the shy smile that I used to give her when I was a child. Recognizing the look, she gave me the wispy smile that she gave me when she would watch me eat the lunches that she gave me every day. I moved my hand down to caress her right cheek. Her smile increased before she asked through our bond in a knowing tone, "Son?" I replied back, "Mommy."

Several hours later, I stood against the watertight bulkhead of the docked mini submersible as we neared the ATC cruise liner. Persephone, as Morales had named the submarine after the Greek goddess, was cruising beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to intercept Alice. Around me in the cramped space were Stokes, Alpha 1, Gamma 3, Holiday, Point Man, Juggernaut, and Foxtrot 813. Morales was in the control room of Persephone and Jin was in the radio room so she could rely information to me. Finally, Morales informed me, "Becket, wake up. We are three hundred yards off her starboard. I have ordered for an all stop just as a precaution. These ships may be as silent as a ghost but one of the Replicas may fart and alert them that we are here." I smirked as I replied, "Cute…copy that." I looked at Stokes and said, "We are up on her. Give us what you got." She stood and walked over to me. When she reached me, she reached above her head to reveal a retractable monitor that powered on to display a blueprint of the ATC vessel. After she kneeled, she addressed everyone in the compartment, "The ship we are infiltrating is the Alice. She is a cruise liner about the size of an aircraft carrier. Her layout is similar to a typical ship of her class but on a more ornate scale. Our best guess is that ATC has the President of the United States of America somewhere in the aft-section of the ship but he could be anywhere. The level of resistance and number of hostiles we expect to encounter is unknown. We will infiltrate the vessel in three teams. Team one, comprised of Point Man and Holiday, will search the fore section of the vessel. Team two, comprised of Gamma 3, Juggernaut, and myself, will search the mid-section of the vessel. Team three, comprised of Foxtrot 813, Alpha 1, and Becket, will search the aft-section of the vessel. Our primary mission objective is to prevent ATC from getting those codes." The monitor's image changed to a picture of the president. Stokes continued, "We have a strong reason to believe that ATC is planning to force him to give them the codes to the ICBMs located at the base that they took over. If they get those codes before we can stop them, they will likely launch them at Fairpo…I mean Sparta." She returned the monitor to its mount before she sat back down. I added, "Our goal here is to protect Sparta and Sparta only. I know there may be some sentiment for the president, but remember what you are fighting for. He is to be taken into protective custody so we can safely return him to his country only as secondary objective. If, when located, his silence is deemed to be necessary to protect Sparta from nuclear annihilation, you are authorized to terminate him with lethal force. That is only a worst-case scenario. We need to keep a good image in the eyes of the American public as much as we can. However, remember why we are here. He is not your leader anymore nor are we here for the United States. We are here for our own interests. Good luck to everyone."

I spoke into my com link, "Manny, detachment will commence shortly. Black her out." As we took our places for the detachment from Persephone, Morales informed me, "Her throat has been slit. She is not squawking even if she wanted too. Good luck man." As the mini-submersible silently ejected from her parent vessel under the remote control of Jin, I replied, "Copy that. Maintain position until further orders." He responded, "Roger." I could hear the ocean's siren songs as we quietly approached the Alice. In a way, my goddess was like the ocean. She could give someone great bounty if her favor had been won, but she was also cruel, unpredictable, and murderous. I heard her say in my mind, "Being poetic again?" I smirked briefly in response. Before we could converse further, Jin said, "Becket, stand by for breach." I replied, "Just do it." There was a soft metallic thud as our vehicle's specialized entry hatch connected with the vessel's hull. Using highly focused laser beams, Jin sliced into the vessel. Just as the lasers cut out a perfect match to our vehicle's hatch, the exterior pressure door extended and sealed the opening. After a moment, the pressures were equalized and I was able to open the hatch.

With my rifle at the ready, I proceeded through the entry point. The compartment we had breached into appeared to be used for storage of janitorial items. The ship rose and fell with the turbulent waters of the Atlantic storm raging outside. I motioned the all clear and was joined by the rest of my team. I proceeded to the door and opened it. The hallway was dead silent save for the thunder from outside. I said, "Move out." We all formed into our assigned teams before we proceeded further into the vessel. As I led Alpha 1 and Foxtrot 813 towards the aft section, I noted that Stokes was not exaggerating on how ornate the ship was. With the highly waxed hardwood floors and furniture, gold-leaf trim, and marble columns, the ship's interior reminded me of the interior of the HMS Titanic. No expenses had been spared in her construction. Considering her name, I wondered if Alma's sister actually had a tainted relationship with their father as I had suggested when I taunted her. I had no time to mull on that thought however because as we neared the corridor that led to the service staircase that led to the bridge, I heard an unidentified man moaning. The three of us moved in a synchronized manner as we cautiously approached the sound. I saw a blood trail leading into one the rooms. Gripping my rifle tighter, I proceeded into the room. It was pitch black inside so I had to switch on my flashlight. The blood trail led to a man dressed in ATC mercenary attire leaning against a locker at the back of the room. The man was covered in his own blood and behind him on the wall, I saw the hallmark scribbles and messages written in the man's blood. I cursed before I said into my com link, "Heads up everyone. I have encountered evidence of cultists. Watch your ass."

Stokes replied, "Copy that Becket." Holiday replied, "Got it." I looked back at the man to see Alma studying the writing on the wall. I asked her, "Alma, why are your friends here?" She replied, "Perhaps they were still sane when ATC brought them on board." I nodded as I turned and proceeded back out into the hallway. As I left the room, my com link activated. Holiday informed me, "Becket, we have encountered hostile cultists. Continuing our search." I responded, "Copy that." Movement from down the corridor instantly had me at alert. As I scanned my surroundings, I ordered, "Alpha 1, get high. Foxtrot 813, cover our six. We move together in close ranks." The two Replicas assumed their positions and we spaced ourselves only inches apart. I crouched down to give Alpha 1 a clear line of fire with his scattergun. Together, we proceeded towards the staircase. As we reached it, a cannibal leaped up the staircase as it headed towards the bridge. He was too fast for me to engage before he disappeared. Steeling myself, I pressed onwards. I had to decide whether to search the upper decks or below decks. If the president was indeed onboard, I could not imagine that he would have been held in the upper decks. If he was here, he would be below decks. The white painted steel staircase was narrow so we would have to proceed one at a time. I took point and proceeded down the vertical death trap. Despite my caution, around the middle of the ladder, a cultist tackled me.

The deranged individual threw his whole body against me and we flew together. I activated my reflexes in mid-flight. They saved my life because as we fell, I saw that we were headed for a shrine that had a large kitchen knife sticking upwards. In the seconds I had, I grasped the man, pressed my feet against the man's chest, and then kicked off him to propel myself just to the left of the shrine. As I landed on the blood-covered floor, I used my momentum to roll back onto my feet. As the treads of my boots gained traction, I raised my rifle and fired a burst at the recovering cultist. My shots hit their mark and the cultist was dead. Deactivating my reflexes, I looked back at the staircase to see Alpha 1 charging down the narrow path with Foxtrot 813 close behind. I called out, "I am alright." When Alpha 1 reached me, he said, "I am going first for now on." Before I could argue, Morales informed me, "Shit…umm…Becket, we have a problem." I questioned, "What? ATC have reinforcements?" He replied, "No…the SEALs are here."

Alarmed, I asked, "What? Fucking SEALs? Where?" He informed me, "They are being deployed from a submarine on the opposite side of the vessel and are headed towards you in combat rubber raiding crafts. I can't see them so I am going off their communication traffic." I said aloud, "Son of a fucking bitch!" After I calmed myself, I said into my com link, "People, we have SEALs inbound. Standby for the ROE. Miss Kwon…" She interrupted me, "Already patched you in sergeant." I spoke into my com link, "SEAL Team, this is 1st SFOD-D Sergeant Becket. Please respond, over." After a moment, a middle-aged man's voice replied, "Shit…Sergeant Becket, this is Lieutenant Cross. What are you doing here freak?" I explained, "Protecting my country. You?" He replied, "Same." I questioned him, "So we have the same objective. Perhaps a joint-ops is in order?" The man gruffly replied, "Not a chance traitor. Go worship your Alma or whatever and stay out of our way." Losing my temper, I said, "Listen…bilge rat…lose the attitude because I am trying to keep you from getting your dumbass self killed. This ship is overrun with cannibals and you have no idea what you are playing with. Let my people handle this. I will even personally deliver the president to you." He responded, "Hey Delta Boy, why don't you go bang two rocks together? You have the "specialized skills" to do that right? Just stay out of our way and let the real professionals handle this." I said, "Damn it, listen! You have no idea what you are up against." I received no response.

I advised everyone, "The SEALs are going to get themselves killed. Let them. Continue your search." Stokes asked, "Becket?" I sighed before I said, "Keira…they are not our responsibility. The mission is all that matters." She replied with noticeable reluctance, "Copy. Continuing search." I looked around the room and located the passageway that led into the bowls of the aft-section. As I walked towards it, I heard a distant high-pitched female scream emanate from somewhere on the deck. Red wax candles illuminated the corridors and more of the cultist ramblings covered the walls. The whole deck seemed to be some kind of converted church for the cultists' devotion to Alma. My HUD continuously flickered and the air was vibrating as if it was charged with energy. I periodically addressed the two Replicas, "Easy. Just decorations. Maintain focus." Finally, we reached what appeared to have once been the food court. At the center of the room, a podium sat atop a raised platform.

A middle-aged woman in a bloodied straight jacket with disheveled red hair stood behind the podium. When she noticed us, she gasped before she said, "The holy mother…forgive us for we did not recognize your angels. The blasphemer riled up the faithful despite my best attempts to maintain faith in your answering of our prayers. Please forgive us: your servants." As we proceeded closer, I noticed the cultists surrounding us in the shadows. I said, "Hold your fire. There are too many." When we reached the podium, the woman walked around the podium and bowed before Alma. Our goddess gently touched the top of the woman's head with her right hand as she addressed the cult leader in a gentle motherly voice, "Child, you are forgiven. Where is this blasphemer?" The woman replied, "Subdued in purgatory awaiting your final judgment." Alpha 1 and I slowly looked at each other in a mutual feeling of disbelief in the situation. I heard Foxtrot 813 quietly comment, "And one flew over the cuckoo's nest…" I had to suppress my laughter at his reference. Alma ordered, "Take us to him." The woman nodded and stood. I was finally able to get a closer look at her. After a quick study of her face, I realized who she was. I addressed her, "Dr. Green?" The former ATC employee looked at me as she recognized her name. For a moment, she seemed unsure of what she was doing or where she was but the manic expression soon returned. She spoke to me in a broken voice, "Saint Michael, shepherd of the messiah and the holy mother's horseman of death…you honor us with your presence." I heard Alpha 1 snicker behind me but I ignored him as I replied, "The honor is mine ma'am. So, the blasphemer…? Dr. Green nodded before she started stepped down off the podium and made her way over to the service elevator that the employees used to access the maintenance decks. We followed her, hoping that the blasphemer that the cultists were referring to was the president.

On the walls surrounding the elevator, their graffiti gave the illusion that the elevator was some kind of portal. The flickering of my HUD intensified as we neared the elevator. Dr. Green pressed the call button and the elevator doors opened. I stifled my cry of shock as there was indeed an entrance to one of my paramour's hallucinations. I had learned what to look for when she was hunting me. That shimmering orange mass had allowed her to either manifest before me or allowed her to show me her twisted memories of her life in an attempt to win my sympathy. The soldier inside of me smirked at the memory of her pathetic attempts to distract me from my orders. I sighed before I asked, "Let me guess, we have to go into that hallucination to get to purgatory?" The red haired woman nodded in confirmation. Sighing again, I walked into the mass. My surroundings morphed into the control of some facility. Through the large glass window in front of me, I saw a large spherical device that had immense amounts of psionic shielding. I said aloud in a quiet voice, "The Vault. Purgatory…it makes sense now." I activated the console in front of me and turned to look at where the president would likely appear. Alpha 1 asked me, "So…what do you think sir?" I looked over to where he was to my left before I replied, "Protective custody. ATC never got the chance to interrogate him." He nodded and we waited a few moments for the president. Alma materialized against my right leg in her child form except I noticed that her normally bloodied appearance was replaced by a clean, innocent appearance. Her normal frost grey skin was now a healthy and natural looking cream color. I commented, "Oh, I see…so you get dressed up for the president but not for me…that's cool. That's not…you know…eh, forget it." She gazed up at me as she teased, "Because I know what you like. For example, that thing you have for my feet. My little bloody feet that left those tracks for you to follow…I see you staring at them when we walk together. My dirty…bloody…soft…little…feet. You like to watch me leave those bloody footprints and have to suppress the urge to grab me, place me on my back, and play with them. Don't think I don't know about all of your little…fascinations with my body my love. You especially seem to enjoy the fact that I have no gag reflex." My body stiffened and my member twitched briefly before I collected myself. I heard the door open and looked up to see the president himself standing before us.

I said, "Hello sir. My name is Sergeant Becket. The one in the cracked helmet is Alpha 1 and the other one is Foxtrot 813." He looked at the Replicas and me for a moment before his eyes were drawn to the little girl by my right leg. Alma left my side and stalked towards the politician with her trademark intimidating pace until she stopped a few inches in front of him. Not making a sound, she studied him with her blank emotionless expression. Understandably, he was clearly unnerved by her mannerisms and appearance. She was playing her mind games with him for her own amusement. I smirked before I said, "Mr. President, meet the one and only Alma Wade." He managed to say to my companion, "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance Miss Wade." I corrected him, "Don't use her last name…trust me. Just call her Alma." He said, "Alma…so you are the one from Project Origin?" She gave him a slight nod in response. He was about to continue but I interrupted, "Look, we can have a nice chat some other time. We need to get out of here." I looked down at Alma and said, "Alma…" She nodded and our surroundings changed back to the elevator.

I spoke into my com link, "All teams, team three has located the VIP and is headed back to the mini-submersible." Stokes responded, "Good work Becket. I have located the bodies of the SEAL teams. I could not find Lieutenant Cross. Should we try to find him?" I answered, "Negative. All teams, regroup at the mini-submersible." Holiday commented, "About damn time. I am tired of this ghost ship bullshit." Stokes said, "Roger that Becket, regrouping." I motioned for everyone to follow me as I headed back to the staircase on the other side of the deck. I noticed that the cultists were strangely absent from the room. Even Dr. Green was gone. Alarm bells went off in my mind. I stopped and turned to look at the president. I said, "Actually, sir there is something we need to discuss real quick." He walked closer until he was half a foot in front of me. He waited for me expectantly. As Alpha 1 quietly walked up behind the man, I calmly said, "It occurs to me that I forgot to apologize for the inconvenience and the headache." Confused he asked, "What headac…?" Before he could finish, Alpha 1 stuck the back of his head with the butt of his automatic shotgun. The politician never felt the impact and was unconscious before he collapsed onto the floor. I answered, "That headache." I ordered Foxtrot 813, "Get him to the mini-submersible. We will cover you." He tossed me his assault rifle as he walked up to the president. I caught it with my left hand and repositioned my hands so I would be dual wielding the two Patten PK470 assault rifles. Foxtrot 813 kneeled before standing as he slung the president over his right shoulder. He moved as fast as he could towards the staircase. Alpha 1 and I started to leave the room but a soft metallic sound caused me to stop and look back towards the elevator.

I had no time to dodge the massive hand that struck me and sent me flying against the hardwood wall. Shaking off my disorientation, I retracted from the crater that I had created in the wall. I looked up just in time to see a massive, skinny foot step on the podium as the creature revealed its identity to me. I addressed the disgusting abomination with my voice full of spite, "Harlan Wade…I see you found your way out through the portal. About time you showed your ugly face. Now I can have the pleasure of being the one who finally sends you to Hell." The pale humanoid shrieked menacingly. As its mouth was open, I fired both assault rifles at the opening. To my left, Alpha 1 joined in with The Hammer. The volley of lead caused the apparition to wail in pain. It fell backwards onto the opposite wall. The impact caused major structural damage to the wall and the entire ship shook. Cautiously, we started to approach the downed monster. However, we stopped and retreated back as the humanoid returned to its feet with another screech. It convulsed violently as it grew in size. We dodged a swing by its left hand. The hand effortlessly ripped into the wall behind us. It gouged out a huge gash in the side of the vessel. Seawater poured through the opening and I yelled, "Get to the staircase!" As we ran down the candle lit corridors, I said into my com link, "All teams, an apparition is tearing the ship apart. Get out now!" Before I could get a response, one of the monster's hands smashed through the wall beside us. I was thrown against the opposite wall as debris showered us. I fired my assault rifles at the hand to drive it back. It finally relented and disappeared through the hole. When I stood, I noticed that my HUD was gone. I looked around only to find my glasses crushed beneath a chunk of marble. Not wasting time, we ran towards the staircase. Just as it was within eyesight, the ceiling of the corridor just in front of us collapsed. We paused at the mass of steel and wood. We quickly decided that there was not enough time to clear the path because the water was already deep enough to reach our knees. Studying my surroundings closer, I noticed that I could see the deck above us through the collapsed ceiling.

I motioned at the partially accessible opening as I said, "Alpha…" He interrupted, "On it sir." He holstered his shotgun before he retrieved his C4 charges. After placing my rifles on the floor, I stood beneath the opening with my hands cupped in front of me. Alpha 1 rushed forward and I lifted him up high enough to place the charges in the opening. He jumped back down before I lost my grip. I retrieved my rifles as we retreated to a safe distance. He detonated the charges and the explosion was sufficient to increase the opening. It was barely large enough for us to fit through but we did not have time to place another charge because the water was now at our waist. I kneeled beneath the opening. Alpha 1 climbed on top of me so he could stand on my shoulders. With adrenaline pumping through my system, I was able to stand enough for him to jump and grasp the jagged metal on the edges of the opening. He hauled himself up through the improvised escape route. The water was at the middle of my chest when he extended his arms though the opening to catch me. Though hindered by the water, I was somehow able to jump high enough for the Replica to catch me. I dropped my rifles in the jump so he could use both arms to pull me through the opening. There were a few moments of panic as he lost his grip slightly but finally, he was able to deadlift me high enough to grasp a section of the hole with my left hand. I lifted myself through the opening and collapsed upon the floor. My body wanted to rest but in my mind, the soldier demanded, "Get up. Get up old man!" Groaning, I managed to stand. The tilt of the deck informed that the ship was going down aft first. A horrifying thought occurred to me. I informed Alpha 1 as I helped him to his feet, "We have to get to the front of the ship before she breaks in half." He nodded and we started running towards the front of the ship. Behind us, a massive hand punched through the deck as the monster continued his pursuit.

We ran through seemingly endless ornate dining rooms, art galleries, and dimly lit hallways. Behind us, the twisted apparition of Harlan Wade destroyed everything in its path as it chased us with the single-minded goal of killing us. As we reached a ballroom that I can only assume was in the general area of the middle of the ship, I saw a man in black combat gear attempting to revive another man in similar attire with the Heimlich maneuver. As we moved closer, he raised his Patten PK470 assault rifle that was modified with a suppressor, an extended magazine, and an attached heartbeat sensor at us briefly before he realized that we were not cultists. He lowered his rifle as he said, "Oh just fucking perfect. Now I have to babysit a fuckboy grunt and his boyfriend. You leave your old lady at your mama's house Delta Boy?" As I continued my pace, I replied, "Piss off Sea Pup. While you guys were busy dying, I located and evacuated your president. I suggest that you follow us if you want to live." I stopped long enough to retrieve the fallen SEAL's assault rifle before I proceeded out towards the exit.

The ship rocked violently and we were all forced onto our hands and knees. The tilt of the deck suddenly increased drastically as the flooding of the aft section accelerated. I scrambled to my feet as the sound of overstressed metal filled the room. The floor and ceiling in the middle of the room began to buckle as the weight of the waterlogged stern caused a complete structural failure along the ship's entire length. I yelled over the shearing metal, "Get to the front!"

Cross and Alpha 1 had no sooner reached where I was than the back half of the ship tore away from the front. As it pulled away from our part of the ship, we could see the honeycomb compartments off the doomed vessel. It was one of those once in lifetime events where for a second, time stops and you can see something that people want to see but never do. I had to tear my eyes away from the sight because the front would be under water before we ever got to it if I lingered. As I reached the door, a screech behind us caused me to look back briefly. Like a worm exiting a piece of fruit, the pale humanoid tore out of the center of the rapidly sinking stern. Cross yelled, "What the Hell is that?" As we ran through the rapidly inclining corridors, I yelled back, "Long story. Just move your ass." Finally, as the incline of the floor reached almost ninety degrees, we crawled out of the passageway that led to the front deck. As we finally managed to stand on the pitching, slippery white face of the superstructure, the abomination emerged out of the forward steering room. As we fired our weapons, he descended upon us. Before I activated my reflexes, Alma appeared in her malnourished form in front of us. I heard her mumble unintelligible statements as the humanoid suddenly froze in his tracks. I smiled briefly as I reflected on how much she had changed since the last appearance of this twisted version of her father. Fear no longer held any power over her. The railing along the ship's deck ripped away from its mounting at her bidding and wrapped around the creature's body.

Suddenly, Point Man appeared at my side. I asked, "Our knight in shining armor is here. Where is Holiday?" The mute soldier pointed towards the turbulent waters surrounding the vessel. I nodded as I understood his gesture. Point Man must have stayed behind to look for Alpha 1 and me when the rest of my team evacuated. I laughed aloud as I commented, "Okay, let's see if an operative from F.E.A.R., Army Delta Force, Navy SEAL, and ATC Replica are enough to kill this fuck!" The men around me, except for Point Man of course, laughed at my comment. The humanoid managed to break free from the railing. As it opened its mouth, it roared, "Becket…you have always been a disappointment!" Firing a burst into the open orifice, I replied calmly, "I don't care." For several minutes, we all strafed the disgusting creature. I started to get worried because I was down to my last two clips and I was certain that everyone else was running low in ammunition as well. Compounding the problem was the fact that we were running out of time as the water flooded the fractured and gutted cruise liner. We needed more firepower and we needed it now. Alma continued her psychic assault on her own personal demon and I suspected that she was the one doing the most damage and all we were doing was annoying the creature. I knew it was time to use the weapon I had been carrying around since before the amplifier but only used in extreme emergencies. Stopping, I glared at my enemy as I threw away my rifle. Alpha 1 stopped beside me and asked, "Sir, what are you doing?" Not answering, I retrieved the Armacham Type-12 Pulse Weapon that Halford had given me just before the assassin had decapitated him right in front of me.

Aiming the prototype, I fired it a blast at the superstructure at just the right angle to cause the blast to ricochet into the creature's mouth. As the slow moving pulse moved towards the superstructure, I yelled at the humanoid, "Hey Harlan! I fuck your daughter! We are having a daughter too! I guess she will be the first child that Alma will have that you were not the father of!" My target roared with fury just as the blast ricocheted off the superstructure and entered his mouth. I had timed the path just right and the pulse exploded inside its mouth. Its left jaw exploded off its bizarre face and showered us in its blood. It reared back in misery and landed back against the far side of the superstructure. The weight caused the vessel to lurch and tilt towards the side that the humanoid had landed. We all fell forwards but I caught myself by grasping an open porthole with my left hand. I heard a cry for help behind me and I turned just in time to see Cross slide towards me as he tried to find something to grab. Without hesitating, I dropped the Pulse Weapon as I transferred my right hand to grasp the porthole. As Cross passed me, I reached out and grabbed him by his black vest with my gloved left hand. The tilt of the deck increased enough to cause Cross to turn and grab onto my hand with both of his. Luckily, the creature righted itself and the ship returned to its original tilt. We regrouped as the icy Atlantic water began to slosh onto the superstructure's surface. The situation was grim. We had little or no ammunition left and the ship was only minutes away from sinking.

I froze at the sound of Alma's cry. I looked to see her crumpled on her right side before the twisted version of her father. It must have scored a lucky hit on her. Panic and anger filled my mind as I saw the thing move to absorb her. I rushed forward as my body emitted a red aura while primal fury replaced my rational mind. As the humanoid's mangled mouth descended to swallow up the two reasons I had to live, I roared in a demonic voice, "Hey asshole!" It looked, or at least I thought it looked, in my direction just in time for my glowing right hand to grasp its remaining right jaw. With little effort, I ripped the jaw off, turned it, and then shoved it back up into the monster's mouth, causing torrents of blood to impact my body. Before the apparition could make a sound, I sent a powerful punch into its neck with my left fist. As the stunned humanoid collapsed, I sent my right fist into its chest. I grasped its beating heart, which I almost laughed at since it was an apparition and therefore not technically alive, and ripped the still pumping organ from the abomination's skinny body. I looked at the black organ as it pumped disgusting and vile smelling liquid. As I held it, it dissolved into a cloud of ash. I rushed to Alma's side and helped her to her feet. I asked her with concern in my voice, "Are you okay?" She shifted into her child form before me as she nodded. Before we could continue conversing, Cross walked up behind me and asked, "Did I have a stroke or something? What the fuck is going on?!" Alpha 1 cut in by saying, "Nothing that you need to know." He stood beside me as he asked, "Sir, are you two alright?" I replied, "We are alright." I heard moaning and looked to see a lab coated older Harlan trying to get to his feet. I walked over to him. Using my right boot, I forced him back onto the superstructure's surface by his left shoulder. As he looked up at me through the heavy rain, I said simply, "No." Noticing that Alpha 1, Cross, and Point Man had joined me, I drew my sidearm. Looking at them, I said, "Gentlemen…" They nodded and drew their own sidearm. As we surrounded the old man, we aimed our secondary and fired their entire clip pointblank into the apparition's head.

Our shots tore into its head, ripping out chunks at a time. When we were done, no skull remained. Decapitated, the body dissolved into ash. That was the end of Harlan Wade's memory. As I reflect upon the whole matter all these years later, I find it as pointless and unnecessary as it was a random boss fight. Holstering my sidearm, I remarked, "Well, now that the drama is over, we need to find a way off this tub." They nodded in agreement. However, before we needed to decide how to accomplish that feat, a Replica voice said, "Sir, over here!" I looked to see Persephone's sleek surfaced hull alongside the vessel. A group of Replica soldiers assisted us as we left the cruise ship's now underwater superstructure. Only minutes later, the entire ship slipped beneath the surface of the ocean. As I watched the bubbling surface where it went down from the submarine's tower, Alma stood beside me and said, "Everyone made it. I made sure of that while you distracted that thing." I replied, "Yeah, I wondered where you went. Thank you." She hugged me with her tiny child form's arms so I rapped my left arm around her. Behind us, the president said, "I suppose I should express my gratitude for being rescued." Without moving, I replied, "Save it. I did not rescue you because I care. I was looking after my own interests. There is something you can do for me to make us square though." He asked, "Yes?" I smirked before I replied, "I need you to do something for me."

"…which U.S. forces recaptured earlier today after a fierce battle with ATC mercenaries. The ICBM silos were reportedly undamaged during the occupation. In breaking news, the president was rescued from Armacham forces in an operation by Navy SEALs. Though we do not yet know specific details, reports indicate that he is unharmed and has returned to office. In unrelated news, the president has announced that the area of Fairport will now be known as Sparta and is outside of U.S. control or influence. More on that tonight at eleven. In sports…" I switched off the small flat screen in my office and closed my eyes as I laid back into my chair. I heard giggling so I opened my eyes. I saw Alma in child form sitting on the edge of my desk with her legs dangling over the side. I looked at her with a curious expression as I tried to decipher what she found so funny. I got my answer when she raised her legs up and placed her bloody feet in my lap. I groaned, "Oh how I hate you." She smiled innocently as she enjoyed teasing me. I was not sexually aroused by her feet. They just captivated me like her eyes. She knew that I was embarrassed by my fascination so she teased me about it occasionally. As she watched me caress her feet with my gloved hands, she said, "I love you too."


	16. Chapter 16 Part 1

Ch.16 Part 1

A.N.: Hey everyone. I think I got the corrections…well the obvious ones anyway. I completely dropped the ball on the Bravo 2 part. His name is not Bravo 4. It is Bravo 2. Huge fail on my part. Sorry.

"You'll never catch me Daddy! You're too slow!" My daughter taunted as I chased her through the endless meadow. Whenever I got close, she teleported back out in front of me. My body did not tire as it normally would have now that I had been sprinting at full speed after the small child for what I estimated to be at least an hour. It was another aspect of what my coveter was capable of doing. I had arrived at the conclusion that our daughter may not actually be real in the normal sense but rather was like her mother. Both of them should not have logically existed in the manner that they did but here they were in my life nonetheless. Alma had actually once been alive and simply refused to die with her body. I honestly did not want to know the choking burden of the fathomless anger that was required for an individual to be so obsessed with revenge that not even death would have her soul. Even with how much she had changed from the fragmented spirit that I had lived in fear of, I could still fell the indescribably massive stockpile of untapped rage that she had just waiting to be used against those that sought fit to make her life worse than it could have been.

As much as Harlan had twisted her, I had to hand it to him: Alma never would have had a chance at a normal life. I often wondered about how he had actually felt about her. He was not a complete monster as I had seen the love that Alice had in her eyes when she spoke of him. Furthermore, it had been Harlan that released Alma from The Vault. Perhaps, he had sacrificed more than his first daughter for Project Origin. He may have sacrificed his own soul as well. His abuse may have been the only way he could face the things that he was doing to her. He probably never wanted her to love him because he knew that he would not have been able to go through with his plans if she had. Broken and unable to face the monster he turned himself into, he lived as a hollow shell of a man for the rest of his life. When Fettel's rampage brought the light of the world to reveal Armacham's crimes, he released her body knowing full well that she would kill him. Perhaps Alma had, on some level that even she was unaware of, forgiven her father once she killed him. That would have explained why the creature born from the memory of his abuse was not as powerful as I would have expected.

Our daughter is the only hope for both of our tragic families to escape the shackles of our past. Alma is the mother of the apocalypse, Point Man is a mute killing machine that only displays the faintest traces of humanity, and I am simply a broken soldier that only continues to live because my job is not finished. The sweet, innocent raven-haired child that I was chasing was the first ray of hope in the sorrow and misery that we lived in. Her conception was one of violence and cruelty but both Alma and I were determined to ensure that her origin would not define her life. As I chased her, she suddenly reversed direction and ran back towards the tree. I nearly fell as I tried to match her agility but I managed to catch back up to her. As we neared the healthy tree, I saw her beautiful mother sitting against the trunk cradling her doll as she watched us. In my mind, I heard her singing the haunting melody of her music box with her enchanting voice. As her daughter neared her, Alma ceased her humming.

Our daughter ran up to her mother and excitedly hauled her to her feet. Trying not to laugh, Alma tried to discover the source of the excitement. The young girl explained while she was nearly jumping up and down with joy, "Daddy showed me how to salute." She went to attention and saluted the way I had shown her earlier. She dropped her right hand as a wide smile took shape on her heart shaped face. Alma tried her best to match her daughter's enthusiasm as the small child continued, "Next, he said that he will teach me some military lingo. Isn't that great Mommy?" Alma smiled before she replied, "It sure is. I am glad you two are able to play nice together." Our daughter said in a confused but still happy tone, "Of course we do. Why wouldn't we? Daddy is so nice…a little too serious all the time but he is still fun to play with." A strange smile crept onto Alma's lips before she replied, "Yes…he is fun to play with."

Before I could voice my discomfort, I suddenly heard Alpha 1 state, "Sir, Armacham is launching a new offensive." I turned to see him standing about a foot away in the tall grass with his arms at his side and his shotgun on his back. I nodded before I commented, "I didn't know that you could enter this world." He replied, "I didn't either sir." My daughter walked past me and stood before the Replica. He kneeled at her feet momentarily before he stood back up. He then addressed her, "It is a privilege to be in your presence your majesty." The child giggled before she commented, "I like you. You are like a knight in shining armor like in the stories Mommy tells me. What is your name?" He replied in a confused tone, "I don't understand the question." I informed him, "She wants to know your call sign." He addressed the young girl looking at him with admiring eyes as he went to attention and saluted her, "Alpha 1 reporting for duty your majesty." She giggled before she returned his salute. When she dropped her right hand, she ran forward and hugged the armored soldier's right leg. Alpha 1 stared at her as he tried to understand what she was doing. Finally, he asked, "Permission to touch?" She smiled up at him as she replied, "You sound like Daddy. Granted." He bent down and did his best to mimic what she was doing except around her torso. With his genetically enhanced strength, he barely allowed himself to wrap his arms around her body. After a few seconds, he retracted. She also retracted from him and returned to standing before him.

Innocently, she asked him, "Can I see your face?" Despite a few moments of obvious discomfort with the request, he raised his arms up and grasped his white ceramic helmet. Carefully, the Replica removed his helmet. His face was revealed to the world for the second time in his life. The gash below his left eye had healed into a noticeable serpentine scar that stood out against his pale skin. As he looked at my daughter with his real eyes, he smiled at her slightly. I could not help but wonder at the sight as once again, Alpha 1 demonstrated that, out of all of us, he was perhaps the most human. She smiled back at him and asked, "Where did you get that scar?" He cringed briefly before he replied in his unusually deep voice, "While your father and I were fighting a powerful dragon that was terrorizing the kingdom." For a moment, I was dumbfounded by his answer. He was always matter-of-fact and straight to the point whenever he spoke. My daughter's eyes comically widened as she was instantly enthralled by the tale. She asked, "You fought with my Daddy? Against a dragon? Did you win?" He smiled before he replied, "I fight alongside your father whenever he goes out on a heroic quest. Oh yes, we won. It was a dangerous fight and a few times the dragon thought he had us but we worked together. We slayed the dragon and saved the kingdom." She clapped happily as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

She said, "That is so amazing! Do you have any more stories…Alpha 1?" Once again, he smiled at her before he replied, "Yes ma'am." She eagerly requested, "I want to hear another one." Alpha 1 started to tell another story but I regretfully interrupted, "Another time. It is time for Daddy and Alpha 1 to go to work." He nodded before he lowered his helmet back into place. My daughter pouted and complained, "But I want to hear more stories." I sighed before I explained, "We can't always get what we want when we want it. Sometimes, we have to be patient. Okay?" Though clearly disappointed, she smiled before she replied, "Okay Daddy. I'll wait." I smiled before I said, "That's my girl. We will be back soon. I promise." She nodded and as I left the created world, I heard her call after me, "I love you."

I found myself in the sleeping area of the tower. I made my way to the control room with Alpha 1 walking beside me. There, I found Morales and Jin going over the holographic overview of the war raging in the continental United States, China, Russia, Britain, and other various countries throughout the world. When they saw me enter, Morales said grimly, "Becket, ATC is growing increasingly desperate by the day. It seems that the remaining members of the board of directors have either retreated to their own private castles in neutral waters or simply disappeared. Carson Slayers is still pulling the strings of the mercenary forces but he knows how to hide his tracks. It is going to take us some time to triangulate his location from here. Meanwhile, the troops under his control are acting more like terrorist groups than a fighting force." Jin commented, "I don't understand why they continue to do the horrible things that ATC tells them to do. I mean, back when the company's crimes were unknown to the rest of the world I understood that they were simply doing what they were being paid to do. Now…why? Short of diehard devotion, there is no reason for them to continue to work for the company." I thought aloud, "Fear might be a factor. I know those tin soldier phase commanders have diehard loyalty and they abuse their own soldiers. Plus, they all know that we are coming for them. In their minds, they have no way out. They are wounded animals backed into a corner." Morales said, "They are too spread out around the globe. Without their communication network, they would be forced to fight as local chapters."

Examining the hologram, I replied, "Hmm…yes. Their network is extensive and advanced but it must have a weak point." I looked up to see Stokes enter the room. She walked over and stood next to Jin. I asked them, "Miss Kwon…Keira, diagnosis of their network." Both technical officers scrutinized ATC's communication system. Jin remarked, "Hmm…it may be advanced software but they are running off old hardware." Stokes added, "Yes…I bet it if we overload…actually, it appears that all the channels route through this facility in South America. The facility is acting as a kind of switchboard. If we destroy it, ATC's communication systems will go down." Alpha 1 commented, "Seems lazy." I shrugged before I said, "Eh…they probably never thought that they would wage war with the world." He replied, "True…" I smirked before I said, "Well, time to flex our global muscles. Alpha 1, status report on the new battalions." He nodded and contacted his brethren. After a moment, he informed me, "Battalions 1-10 on standby sir." I nodded before I ordered, "Have 1st and 2nd Battalion assemble for an assault on the facility in South America. We are wheels up in four hours." He relayed my orders and I looked back at Morales, Jin, and Stokes. They looked at me expectantly. I ordered Morales, "Manny, have Persephone and the surface fleet on standby just in case shit goes south." He replied, "You got it man." I looked at Jin and said, "Miss Kwon, schematics." She replied, "I can do that." I looked at Stokes and said, "Keira, in-field advisor patched in with my squad." She smiled before she replied, "Gladly." I nodded and added to everyone, "You have four hours. Get to it."

Almost seven hours later, as I sat strapped into one of the seats of the Hind gunship's cargo bay as we neared the roof of the multistory ATC facility, I idly observed the overcrowded shantytown surrounding the imposing building. In the air behind the Hind, large transport helicopters carried the two battalions that would assist us along with the orbital dropped Elite Power Armor units. Various flights of F-22 Raptors roared past us on bombing and strafing runs against our target to soften the defenses. This was the kind of environment I was used to fighting in: foreign, full of ungrateful ignorant masses, and the kind of place that good soldiers died without anyone giving a damn. "Your old squad?" I looked up to see Alma carelessly dangling her feet over the side of the open cargo bay. I replied through our bond, "Yeah…fucking villagers butchered their bodies on worldwide television and no one back in the states fucking cared. Hell, the fucking Russians were more sympathetic about the whole thing than my own countrymen." She replied, "I'm sorry." I smiled briefly before I said, "Don't be, it wasn't your fault." She simply observed me with her haunting eyes for a moment before she said, "It is not a burden that you need to carry." I shrugged and by that time, we were within eyesight of the building. We unstrapped ourselves and prepared to rappel down onto the rooftop.

As the Hind maneuvered into a hover, the gunner covered us from the waiting security personnel with the gunship's cannon. Holding my assault rifle with my right hand and operating the rappel with my left hand, I lowered myself down onto the helipad. I was the first one to land and before the rope even detached, I had my rifle up with my reflexes activated. The rooftop was similar to the one on the ATC headquarters in Fairport, which did not surprise me because it was likely a reused blueprint. While the gunship kept the guards back in the interior of the building, I moved forward and secured the small reception area just in front of the helipad. I deactivated my reflexes when I failed to encounter any guards in the small space. By that time, Alpha 1, Point Man, Holiday, and Stokes had joined me. Gamma 3 and Juggernaut would spearhead the pacification of the surrounding area with 2nd Battalion. The Hind gunship maneuvered away to allow reinforcements to arrive in the awaiting transports. From the sky, what appeared to be meteorites landed in the surrounding area at designated drop zones. The Elite Power Armor units would quickly pacify the area even if the ATC guards had their own power armor.

Motioning for everyone to follow, I made my way to the lower level of the roof. As I made my way down the flight of stairs, I saw five ATC mercenaries taking cover behind air ducts near the entrance to the maintenance section. I activated my reflexes and killed all five in quick succession with headshots. I deactivated my reflexes as the last body fell to the ground. Not seeing any enemy reinforcements, I paused at the door to allow everyone to regroup. While everyone was checking their gear, I said to Alpha 1, "Contact 1st Battalion and inform them that the LZ is clear." He nodded and relayed the information to the Replica commanders. The large transport helicopters began to systematically offload their Replica squads on the helipad. As they did, I ordered Stokes, "Keira, stay here and coordinate the squads." She nodded and returned to the reception area.

I spoke into my replacement com link, "All squads, check your targets. Do not shoot any civilians." In unison, they all replied, "Yes sir." I motioned for Point Man, Holiday, and Alpha 1 to follow me. I turned and opened the door that led into the maintenance area. We made it through the entire maintenance area without encountering any resistance. On the other side of the area was a kind of skylight for the offices below us. It was in the shape of ATC's logo and the three square sections were just large enough to allow a man passage to the floor beneath us. As we neared it, a group of security guards opened fire on us from behind cover. Before we had to waste any ammunition, a nearby Hind gunship saw the tracer fire. As we took cover, the ATC guards were shredded by the gunship's cannon fire. As the gunship moved away, I spoke into my com link, "Yankee 4, thanks for the assist." The Replica pilot responded, "Any time sir." As we moved towards the skylight, I took the opertunity to look over the edge of the tall building. As I did, I saw 2nd Battalion's heated firefight with ATC security teams attempting to reinforce the teams inside the building. The mercenaries were no match for the Replicas' equipment and training. Hind gunships provided air support and flights of Raptors occasionally performed bombing runs.

I looked back at the skylight to see Holiday examining the glass. After a moment, he informed the rest of us, "Safety glass. Give me a moment." As we waited for him to finish rigging demolition charges, Stokes reported, "Becket, the building is locked down. We need you to find a way to override the security lockdown so our troops can advance." I replied, "Copy that. I will see what I can do." Holiday finished and said, "Stand back." We moved a safe distance away and he detonated the charges. The explosions were just powerful enough to cleanly blow away the glass panels without causing any further damage. I moved forward and attached an anchor for the rappel line. "Couldn't I just transport everyone down there?" I looked over to see Alma giving me a bored expression. I sighed before I relented and said, "Fine. Let's go." Once again, it felt like I was being ripped across the fabric of space and time before I materialized below the skyline. I forced back the bile in my throat as I shook off the feeling of nausea. I looked around to see Holiday vomiting, Point Man silently scanning our surroundings, and Alpha 1 shrugging as he looked at me. I asked Point Man, "Nothing ever bothers you does it?" He looked at me briefly before continuing his scan. I said in response, "Right…" I looked over at Holiday to see that he had finished but still seemed a bit woozy.

Alma materialized in front of us near one of the information terminals. When she noticed the vomit on the floor, she remarked, "It is not that bad." Holiday replied defensively as he clutched his side, "Speak for yourself." I cut in, "Break it up you two. We need to find a way to deactivate the building security." Alpha 1 suggested, "We could try rebooting the local server." As I proceeded towards the offices, I remarked, "No…that won't do us any good. The security system is on a separate network." Just as I passed the security gate, it closed. Annoyed, I turned to see who was on the other side. Of course, Point Man and Holiday were looking back at me from the other side of the metal barrier. I went to unlock the gate with the console against the wall, but found that it was offline. Irritated, I said, "Oh give me a break." Looking back at the pair on the other side, I said, "I guess you two will have to find a way around." Holiday inquired, "Can't I just use a demolition charge?" As if in response, a heavy metal security door dropped behind the security gate on our side. With visual contact between us broken, Holiday spoke into his com link, "I guess not. We will hook up down the road. Watch yourself sergeant." I replied, "Once we get the security offline, we should be able to link up. If you find anything, report in." As I turned and proceeded down the well-lit hallway, I heard him reply, "Copy that."

As I proceeded down the hallway with Alpha 1 and Alma, I could not help but wonder what it was like to work for Armacham. The first office had been deserted with noticeable haste by the occupant. When we passed the second office, I noticed the overturned wheeled chair and tiny blood smear on the clear desk. I wondered aloud, "Hmm…" We continued onward only to find more deserted rooms occasionally decorated with blood. Alpha 1 commented, "I don't like this…where are the employees?" Slightly disgusted at the stark reality, I replied, "Weak links…they were probably silenced by the guards when the shit started in Fairport." Alpha 1 said, "Hmm…sad."

I snickered at his comment but stopped in mid-step when I caught movement inside the office to my right. With my reflexes activated, I swiveled and fired a burst into the room. Shimmering and electrical sparks revealed the identity of the assailant. The Replica assassin dodged my rounds and struck me with its claw like hand. My body locked up as electricity arched along my exterior. Alpha 1 unleashed his shotgun on the rogue Replica and scored two hits on the cyborg. With a strange mechanical noise, the assassin tried to flee but was stuck by a large tentacle that had been manifested by Alma. The strike knocked the cyborg through the glass wall of the office space and into the little cubicle wall separating the workspaces. The agile assassin managed to get to its feet only to come face to face with one very angry Alma. Though she was in her child form, the anger twisting her face sent a shiver down my spine. She muttered something that I could not make out as she melted whatever material served as the being's skin, leaving only a metal frame.

I recovered but still found myself unable to move as I watched the assassin's demise. As frightening as it was, I always watched my coveter during such attacks with childish wonder. She knew I was watching her so she gave me a devilish smile that gave her a hypnotic quality. I felt as if I were in some trance as I continued to stare at her. She advanced towards me, never breaking eye contact. Her will replaced mine and I reached out to embrace her. However, at the last second, Stokes interrupted by reporting, "Becket, Holiday reports that he and Point Man are on the wrong side of the lock down. It is up to you to get the security offline." Shaken out of my trance, I replied, "Copy that Stokes." I looked at Alpha 1 and said, "The mainframe farm should be nearby." He nodded in response.

I started to continue down the hallway, but stopped when Alma addressed me with a chilling voice that nearly gave me a panic attack. "Am I not good enough for you?" I turned back to find her inches away from me. She was in her child form but not the one I had grown accustomed to. Her raven hair covered most of her face save the predatory glowing eyes and emotionless expression. The blood on her legs looked noticeably fresh and the faint scent of iron filled the air. Her eyes bored into me and left me with an inescapable feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. The air around her pulsed with raw energy as she gathered her power. My eyes dilated as fear took hold in my mind. She was back. The demon that stalked me in Fairport was back. She demanded, "I asked you a question Michael. Am I not good enough for you?" Fighting the urge to flee, I replied timidly, "Y-yes…of cour-course you are…Alma you're scaring me. Wha-what did I do?" Her eyes glowed dangerously as she advanced closer. I instinctually backed away from her but found myself up against the wall before I realized my predicament. I was trapped and she knew it.

As she taunted me with her proximity, she said, "You are upsetting mother Michael. Good children only listen to Mommy. You are letting that blonde temptress distract you from me." I tried to say, "No, she is just a friend." However, I no sooner opened my mouth than she silenced me by saying in a low but menacing tone, "You do not interrupt Mommy when she is talking." I looked over at Alpha 1 only to see that he, along with the rest of the world, had frozen in time. The palm of a cold tiny right hand stuck me across my face. As I looked back at the sadistic child, I dropped my rifle in fright. She instructed me, "Look at me when I am talking to you." I replied in a submissive tone, "Yes Mommy." She smirked slightly before she said in a disturbingly sweet voice, "That's a good boy." She then asked, "Who do you love?" I replied in the same submissive tone, "Mommy." She smiled as she hugged me around my torso. As she held onto me, she remarked, "That's right. Mommy loves you too. No…_girl_ will ever love you like Mommy does."

I suddenly heard her voice but from a distance, "Michael? Michael!" I opened my eyes to find myself lying prostrate on the tiled floor. Two strong hands helped me to my feet. I looked around to find that we were still in the hallway. "Michael?" I nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. I wheeled around to look at her. She had a terrified expression as she looked at me. In a broken voice, I asked her, "Al-Alma, wha-what…why did you do that?" She shook her head before she explained, "Not me…you blacked out when that assassin hit you." Despite what she said, I was still trembling from the hallucination. Beside me, Alpha 1 asked, "Sir, can you continue the mission or do I need to call in a medevac?" I shook my head as I retrieved my assault rifle. The soldier inside of me took charge and forced me to continue onwards. The mission took precedence over everything. As I raised my rifle up and proceeded down the hallway with caution, Alma tried to taunt me, "Momma's boy." I ignored her as I continued forward.

Recalling the floor plans, I navigated the maze of offices and security gates. Several times, I had to use air ducts to bypass the irritating metal barriers. Alma offered to transport us to the server farm multiple times but I continued to ignore her. I was tired of having to second-guess everything because of the chance that it was not real and only a hallucination born from the degradation of my mind. For all I knew, I was still in that horrible amplifier and everything that I had been through was another one of her warped mind games. Finally, after being forced to go down an elevator shaft and climb up another, I saw the door to the server farm. As I went to open it, I paused when I heard the sound of muttering and pressing of a keyboard. I glanced at Alpha 1 who nodded at the unspoken signal. With my rifle in my right hand, I opened the door with my left. I moved back as Alpha 1 stormed into the room beyond with his shotgun at the ready. I followed close behind with my rifle raised. Before us was a decontamination chamber and beyond that through the clear glass panels, I saw a thin old Caucasian man in a lab coat with his back to us. Startled by the noise we made entering the room, the man looked back at us. He addressed us with a voice that caused me to want to shoot the man where he stood, "How did…well, that doesn't matter. You are too late. The purge is almost complete. By the time you get through the decontamination chamber, the memory banks and their backups will be completely blank."

I smirked before I requested, "Hey boss…" I heard her say in my mind through our bond, "On it." As both Alpha 1 and I casually entered the chamber, I saw Alma materialize a few inches from the man. As the chamber's cleansing spray obscured my view into the server room, I heard the man yell in fright, "You! What the…get the Hell away from me!" I heard her taunt him with her facade innocent voice, "No, stay. Play with me." At first, I thought Alma had screamed but then I realized that the man had screamed like a little girl. Alpha 1 asked, "Did he really just?" I laughed darkly before I replied, "Yes he did." The chamber finished its cycle and opened the sealed doors. I walked into the server room to find the ATC employee cowering on the floor in the middle of the room with an amused Alma happily skipping around the terrified man in a circle. I looked over at the terminal the man had been working at to see that the screen had the words "System Error" across it. I ordered Alpha 1, "Alpha 1, secure the hostage." He replied, "Yes sir." As he was making his way over to the employee, I located another terminal and rebooted the servers.

I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, servers have been rebooted." She replied, "Copy that Becket. Point Man and Holiday are in route to your location with the demolition team. 1st Battalion's squads report that all sectors have been secured. With the security gates open, the squads can link up. Also, we appear to be ahead of schedule." I smiled slightly before I replied, "Outstanding. Let's hope that things stay that way." She commented, "Fingers crossed." I looked back at the employee to see Alpha 1 hauling him to his feet. I walked over to him and stopped when I was a few inches in front of him. I studied him briefly and had to shake off a feeling of déjà vu before I addressed him, "I am going to ask you some questions. You will respond with yes, no, or specific details. Start ranting: I start breaking. Refuse to answer: I start breaking. Got it?" The restrained employee responded by spitting on my vest. I chuckled and nodded my head before I calmly requested Alma, "Sweetie, hold my rifle please." She took my primary firearm from my grasp as she gave me an evil smile. She sat down on the clean, white tile floor with her legs folded as she once again examined my rifle with curiosity.

I deactivated my com link so I would not be interrupted. After stretching my back, neck, and arms calmly, I suddenly punched the ATC employee in his left eye with a single, swift, and brutal movement. The blow caused the man to give off a strange noise that sounded more like a wheeze than a grunt. I resumed my calm demeanor as I addressed the man once again, "I am going to ask you some questions. You will respond with yes, no, or specific details. Start ranting: I start breaking. Refuse to answer: I start breaking. Got it?" This time, the man replied, "Yes." I said, "Good." I started by asked, "What is your name and why are you here?" He replied, "My name is Marshall Disler. I am a…" I sighed before I nodded at Alpha 1 who proceeded to firmly grip the man's left index finger and forcefully break it. Over the man's cries of pain, I demanded once again, "What is your name and why are you here?" He whimpered before he managed to say, "Marshall Disler. Armacham paid me to wipe the memory banks at several facilities." I recognized his name but could not remember its significance exactly. I asked my little companion, "Disler…say Alma, isn't he the one that…" She nodded as she finished, "You might remember him by the name Dr. Marshal Disler."

The name clicked in my mind and childhood memories momentarily flashed through my mind's eye. The science lectures at Wade Elementary and his not so subtle interest in me; I remembered him then. Fighting to remain calm, I addressed the man with a strained voice, "So…Mr. Disler, do you know who I am?" He replied, "Paragon and Harbinger subject: Michael Becket." I remarked sarcastically, "Aww…you remember me." Before I could interrogate him further, he suddenly taunted, "What do you see in that thing? She is a fucking monster you fool. Why? Why have you always been her loyal dog?" Before I could respond, I heard a set of boots enter the room on the other side of the decontamination chamber. I looked over to see Point Man, Holiday, and Foxtrot 813 along with the Replica demolition team. I addressed them, "Welcome to the party guys. Good to see you Foxtrot." After passing through the chamber, the men entered the server room. Point Man eyed the bound man so I informed him, "His name is Marshall Disler. He was the one that first suggested that your mother was a psionic to your father." I ordered Holiday and the demolition team, "Rig the charges and then evacuate Mr. Disler as you leave the building. He might be of some use to us." The Replicas gave their standard response and Holiday replied, "Ha…you want me to strap him with explosives too?" Not knowing the reference or joke, I said, "If you want to…" Stokes interrupted me when she said through my com link, "Becket, come in, over."

I replied, "Becket here, what is it Stokes?" She informed me, "Becket, we lost contact with Bravo. They have not reported in for ten minutes and they are not responding to our hails." I responded, "Copy that, standby." I spoke through my link to the Replica soldiers, "Bravo, this is your commander. Sound off." I could not see through their eyes but I felt something. Since I could not see through their eyes, I had to assume that tragedy had befallen the squad. Finally, I got a weak, static riddled response through my com link, "Sir…Bravo 2…porting in…ne…d…back up." I demanded, "Bravo 2, hang tight. We are headed to your location. What is going on? How many are there?" I heard what sounded like a sniper rifle fire before he responded, "One. Unknown female hostile…die motherfucker!" I heard more sniper rifle shots and the faint sound of running footsteps. Alarmed, I instructed the Replica sniper, "Bravo 2, get out of there! Reinforcements are inbound." He replied, "…no! Get…away! What…re…ou?" Cursing, I ordered, "Point Man, Foxtrot 813, and Alpha 1, on me!" Both Replicas replied, "Yes sir!" Point Man nodded as he remained mute. Alma teleported before me and handed me my rifle. Smiling, I took it from her gently. Exiting the room, I led the way as we charged towards the last known location of Bravo on the floor beneath us. As I rushed down the staircase, I said to Stokes, "Keira, Bravo has encountered something bad. There appears to be only one survivor. Point Man, Foxtrot 813, Alpha 1, Alma, and I are making our way to their last known location. I will check in when I know more." She replied, "Copy that Becket. Please, be careful." I assured her, "I will."


	17. Chapter 16 Part 2

A.N.: Well, as promised, there is a lemon in this part. I am glad I broke this chapter into two sections because this half was nearly a chapter within itself. Anyway, again, I tried not to be too descriptive so no one would get offended. I hope everyone enjoys reading this and review if you want. For the underage readers that ignored the M rating, go find something rated T.

With the lockdown deactivated, we were able to reach the bland concrete staircase without incident. As we hurried down the steps, Alma asked, "Why aren't we taking the elevator?" I snorted before I replied, "Because shit always goes wrong in elevators." She said, "But that was mainly because of me." I nodded as I remarked, "Yeah, I figured that already." By that time, we had reached the door leading to the floor that Bravo team was assigned to clear. On the other side of the door, I could hear the sound of small arms fire. I ordered the men following me, "Whatever this thing is, we put it down fast and hard. We have a schedule to keep." They all acknowledged my statement in their own way.

I went to open the door, but Alma stopped me by saying, "Wait Michael." I retracted my left hand from the door handle as I turned to look at her. With a mischievous expression she taunted, "I bet you can't open the door with your mind." I smirked as my body was enveloped with a red aura. With a distorted voice I questioned her sarcastically, "Oh really?" Her glowing eyes narrowed in amusement as she replied, "Yes. Poor Michael, he can kill whomever he pleases, can control thousands of Replica soldiers, killed my second son and my father, but he can't get through a flimsy metal door." My eyes narrowed as I focused on the obstacle. Using my frustration as a catalyst, I sent a pulse of energy against the door. The door flew open with a metallic screech and the doorframe itself warped as black marks appeared around its edges as if it had been burned.

I could feel her smirk as I proceeded through the opening with my rifle at the ready. I said through our bond, "Bitch." She purred, "Is the big man going to force himself upon me?" Annoyed, I snarled, "Shut up Alma." As I observed the blood covered walls of the hallways that had been turned into a warzone, I heard her giggle perversely in my mind with her childish voice before her voice changed when she said in her husky adult voice, "I love it when you think of my body like that. My soft breasts, my flat stomach, my firm ass, my smooth legs, my…" Shivering with desire, I pleaded, "Alma…stop. Please." Her taunts were sending my hormones into overdrive and I had to fight to stay focused on my surroundings. She replied to my pleading with her creepy childish giggling before she remarked, "Not so tough now are you my love? Good with weapons and your fists but not so good at controlling your repressed desires. Not that I would have expected anything else. I mean, besides me, you have never felt the touch of a woman." As I reeled in my body, I retorted, "I was busy." She sighed before she said, "Being a soldier. I know. I know everything about you Michael. There is nothing you can hide from me."

Forcing myself to focus, I concentrated on the firefight damaged hallways as we proceeded towards the sound of gunfire. We occasionally passed the mangled bodies of the members of the ill-fated Bravo team. Most of them appeared to have died fighting and the rest appeared to have been caught off-guard. We scavenged the ammunition and grenades from our fallen comrades as we made our way to the lone survivor. As I recalled from the personnel roster, Bravo 2 was the elite sniper/scout unit for Bravo team. He had been trained and designed to be a lone wolf but he had sounded distressed when I had conversed with him through our com link. When that thought when through my mind, I quickened my pace. As we neared the heated battle, I found myself curious about the identity of the assailant. Bravo 2 had mentioned that the contact was female but he had failed to provide any additional information. Whatever it was, it was capable of almost taking down an entire team of Replica soldiers, which was a notable feat within itself.

We turned the corner and came to the main lobby for the floor. The two elevators were to our left and the reception desk was to our right. Behind the desk, a staircase led to the upper level offices. Bravo 2 was in the center of the room with his back to us as he scanned the upper level for movement with his sniper rifle raised. Without turning to look at us, the Replica sniper informed us, "She jumped up to the upper level. I have not seen her since." With our own weapons raised up towards the upper level, we cautiously made our way towards the surviving soldier. As we reached him, I questioned the sniper, "What is it? What are we fighting?" Bravo 2 replied, "I don't know sir. She moves too fast." Before I could question the sniper for more information, movement caught my attention.

A skinny feminine form about five foot six inches tall clad in some kind of snug fitting, black full-body suit front flipped down from the upper level railing and landed about a foot away from us in a hunched posture. Before I could activate my reflexes, she had summersaulted towards us, recovered, roundhouse kicked Bravo 2 to the floor, flipped me onto my back, knocked Alpha 1 onto his hands and knees, vaulted over his body, roundhouse kicked Foxtrot 813 to the floor, and finally ran off down the hallway before Point Man could get a clear shot. Somewhat humiliated, I scrambled to my feet. Alpha 1 and Foxtrot 813 had recovered as well but Bravo 2 was slow in getting to his feet. I noticed that he was laboring with what were likely several broken ribs from other encounters with the woman. I moved over to him to assist him and helped him rest up against one of the walls.

I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, we have made contact with an unknown female assailant. Bravo 2 is in need of medical evac." She replied, "Copy that Becket. A medical team is in route. Any idea about the identity of the woman?" I answered, "Negative, but she is likely some kind of prototype that Armacham was working on here." With a worried tone, my old squad mate said, "Copy that. Please be careful Becket." I replied, "Don't worry l-t; I am a fighter, not a lover." She laughed briefly at my bastardization of what Keegan had once told her before she said, "Check in when you have an update." I replied, "Roger that." Looking back down at the injured soldier, I reached into my equipment pack and withdrew a medical injector with my left hand. I carefully injected the liquid into the wheezing sniper. After the booster was empty and I withdrew the needle, I informed him, "This should hold you over until the evac team gets here." As the lifesaving substance did its job, the Replica said gratefully, "Thank you sir." I smiled slightly before I said, "No problem."

I motioned for Foxtrot 813, Point Man, and Alpha 1 to follow me as I chased after the strange enemy. We moved back into the war-torn hallway as we constantly scanned our surroundings. Whatever she was, she had the slow-mo ability like Point Man, Foxtrot 813, and I did. However, her slow-mo seemed amplified to the extreme that it was two-fold to ours. We would be fighting a difficult battle against that thing in a fair fight. A thought occurred to me. I asked my companion, "Alma, can you take away an individual's power? Like you did to me in the amplifier but in reverse?" She frowned before she explained, "Not unless it is a natural ability. You were already an extraordinarily gifted psychic so I just had to amplify what you already had. I did not give you anything. Whatever this poor girl is, Armacham made her into it. She is…normal…but surgically enhanced. Sorry." I cursed under my breath as we cautiously made our way down the vacant hallway. We came to a "t" at the end of the corridor and, as I was deciding which way to go, the woman dropped down through the ceiling tiles. She landed between us and tried to assault us with another round of kicks but this time, I was ready for her.

With my reflexes activated, I managed to land a blow with the butt of my rifle's stock. However, my strike only landed a hit on her right shoulder and thus failed to do much damage. Even with my reflexes activated, her movements were still hard to follow. She tried to counter my attack with a high kick but I ducked, grabbed her right leg, and threw her against the glass wall of the nearby meeting room. She smashed through the glass but landed on her feet on top of the long wooden table. She emitted a mechanical sounding hiss of what sounded like anger as she stood menacingly on top of the table. Alpha 1 and Foxtrot 813 opened fire on her but she dodged their bullets as she jumped and twirled through the air towards them.

Alpha 1 barked as he pushed Foxtrot 813 out of the way, "Look out". After he pushed his Replica brother off to the right, he turned to take the full brunt of the force of her flying kick. My best friend gave off a deep, distorted grunt as his shotgun flew out of his grasp and he slid backwards a few feet. He, however, managed to remain on his feet and was able to grasp the woman roughly by her neck despite the fact that he did not possess the slow-mo ability. While he held her around her neck with his left hand, his right hand reached down and retrieved The Hammer from its holster on his right leg. She violently attempted to escape his grasp but he held her in his vice like grip as he fired the extremely lethal revolver into her lower abdomen five times at point blank range. The strange woman howled in agony as greenish liquid sprayed out of the exit wounds and blanketed the ground and wall near the two combatants.

He threw her onto the ground and tried to stomp her skull with the bottom of his right boot. However, she somehow recovered and started to grasp his foot so she could force him off-balance. As my left hand glowed with a red aura, I sent a blast of psychic energy into the downed woman. My blast lifted her off the ground and slammed her into the far right corner of the "t". The front half of her body impacted the sharp corner of the turn as I heard the distinctive sound of vertebrae snapping. I unconsciously cringed and shivered at the sound. The woman flailed about on the ground in pain and I noticed that she had lost the use of her legs. Point Man ended her torment with a burst from his G2A2 assault rifle.

I walked over to the dead woman and stood next to her. I studied her for a moment. Her armor was definitely a prototype because I could see the telltale stitching where the scientists resized a section to make it as snug against her body as they could have made it. The strange green liquid continued to seep out of the bullet wounds as I studied her. Her head was encased in a glossy black, pyramid shaped ceramic helmet that noticeably did not have a vent or any other traditional method of allowing the wearer to view the world. If had to venture a guess as to the intended purpose of her creation, I would have said that she was an assassin and likely an attempt by ATC to find a replacement for the rogue Replica assassins. I felt sympathy for the woman for a brief moment but then I frowned at the ATC experiment. She had killed some of my men and tried to kill me. She had been beyond saving just like Keegan. As I turned away from the body, I sighed and then commented, "What a waste."

My spirits lifted as I saw Alpha 1 retrieving his shotgun. I waited for him to stand before I asked him in a humorous tone, "Tell me Alpha 1, is it easy being superman?" He shrugged as he replied, "I was built to be a shock and awe trooper. Close quarters fighting is my units' specialty." I laughed at his humility for a minute and then asked the group of men, "Anyone got an incendiary grenade?" Foxtrot 813 answered, "Yes sir." I ordered him, "Burn the body." He nodded before he shouldered his assault rifle. He withdrew an incendiary grenade, pulled the pin, lightly tossed it onto the corpse, and then stepped back with the rest of us. As we watched, the grenade exploded and its contents ignited the woman's body. I motioned for my group to follow me as I walked away from the unpleasant sight and smell.

They followed close behind me as I made my way back to the lobby. Eventually, the smell of cooking flesh left my senses. By the time we made it back to the lobby, the medical team had arrived. Two Replica soldiers had their assault rifles raised as they guarded the three Replica soldiers with white striped body armor as they slowly moved Bravo 2 onto a stretcher. As we approached, the two guards saluted me. I returned it and then asked, "Why not just use a medkit so he can move on his own power?" After they had finished moving Bravo 2 onto the stretcher, one of the medical units turned to face me and explained, "We have stabilized him with a medkit, but his injuries are extensive and there is a slight chance that there is internal hemorrhaging. It would be too risky to let him move on his own until we can get him back to Sparta sir." Concerned, I asked, "Is he going to make it?" The Replica medic assured me, "Don't worry sir. His chances of survival are ninety-five percent. This is just standard procedure. If you would like, one of your party can accompany us so you can check in to see how Bravo 2 is doing." I nodded before I turned and ordered Foxtrot 813, "Foxtrot, escort Bravo 2." The Replica replied, "Yes sir." He moved closer to the sniper.

I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, enemy contact has been neutralized. Bravo 2 is being evacuated and Foxtrot 813 is accompanying him. What is the status of the demolition team?" She replied with a relieved tone, "Glad that is over. Holiday and the demolition team has completed the memory bank transfer, rigged the charges, and transported Mr. Disler to the helipad. Stage two is complete Becket." I smiled briefly from satisfaction before I said, "Thank you Stokes. I will be at the helipad momentarily." I could almost see the slight smile on her face as she replied, "Copy that Becket." I focused back on my surroundings to find the medical team and Foxtrot 813 in the left elevator. As the elevator doors closed, I called out to Bravo 2, "See you downrange." I cringed slightly at my choice of words and a momentary flash of the memory of Keegan passing me as he exited the APC played through my mind.

Alma, sensing my darkening thoughts, playfully remarked, "That blonde seems to have taken a shine to you Michael. Perhaps we could include her and have a threesome." I was so stunned and slightly aroused that I temporarily forgot where I was as I replied with a serious tone, "Y-Yeah?" The image of Alma and Stokes caressing each other's nude body as they kissed went through my mind. Alpha 1 brought me back to reality when he asked in a confused tone, "You say something sir? I didn't copy." Hiding my embarrassment and ignoring Alma's amused giggling, I replied, "Disregard. Let's get the fuck out of here." He nodded before he said, "Right behind you sir." I made my way over to the elevators and pressed the call button. After waiting for a few seconds, the right elevator doors opened as the device made a dinging noise. We all eagerly moved into the elevator. When we were inside, I pressed the button for the roof and the doors closed.

As we ascended with the annoying elevator music playing, I spoke into my com link, "1st and 2nd Battalion, initiate stage three. Report if you run into problems. No one gets left behind." The Replicas all simultaneously responded in one mixed voice, "Yes sir." Stage three was basically a controlled withdraw from the area. 2nd Battalion would be evacuated at designated landing zones or emergency secondary landing zones should the assigned landing zone be compromised. The Elite Power Armored units would be airlifted out of the area by specially designed cargo helicopters. At the same time, 1st Battalion would be evacuated from the building at the designated landing zones/helipads that were located at various roof locations every fifth floor or so. The order of evacuation would be injured soldiers, VIPs, and then it would proceed by floor in the order of first to last. My team would be the last to be evacuated.

As the elevator continued its ascent, Alpha 1 groaned before commenting, "Whoever came up with this damn music should be killed." I laughed in agreement. Alma perked up slightly as she heard my wingman's comment. For the remainder of the trip, the elevator music was replaced by the haunting melody of her music box. As much as I had grown attached to the sweet but sad tone of her favorite song, I said to her, "When we get back to Sparta, I am going to introduce you to something called rock 'n roll." She looked at me with a smile before she informed me, "I know about rock 'n roll from your memories silly. Too violent and loud for me." I snorted before I replied in disbelief, "Too violent for you? But…you're…you know…Alma Wade." She giggled in her creepy way for a moment before she explained, "I just don't like very many songs…or loud things...or when little boys question my taste in music." I fidgeted uneasily as I replied, "Oh…did I mention how I love this song?" She smirked before she said, "That's a good boy." We ascended in silence for a moment so I started to watch the floor numbers.

As I watched the floor number slowly increase, I commented, "Fuck me man. Why are these things always so slow? I swear, if one of you guys farts, I am going to throw you off the roof when we get there." Alma retorted, "I don't fart." I laughed sarcastically before I said, "Good thing that you don't because you would probably kill us if you did." She looked at me and frowned before she stuck her tongue out at me. I smirked slightly in response to her childish behavior. That aspect of her remained despite her attempts to mimic being an adult. When she was excited, irritated, or somehow offended by something, she would always revert to her signature unnerving childish behavior even if she was in one of her other forms. She was, and still is all these years later, a complicated individual that defies even my attempts to understand her. After all these years, the best way I can describe her is that she is a psychic; who is a woman; who is a child; who is a mother; who is a powerful goddess of death and darkness; who is a scared child that wants love and acceptance; who is a rage filled woman that wants to kill those who wronged her; who is a psychic.

Finally, the elevator reached the roof. The doors opened and I was immediately assaulted by the downdraft of an Osprey as it maneuvered away from the helipad with a full load of Replica soldiers. As I walked out of the small space and into the reception area, another Osprey landed on the helipad to pick up the waiting team of soldiers. Over the roar of the rotors, I heard Stokes call out to me, "Becket." I looked to my left just in time for her to lunge into my body as her arms wrapped around my neck in a quick hug. She retracted from me before I had the chance to return the hug. She stood back a few inches from me with an embarrassed expression. She tried to defend her display of affection by saying with a nervous chuckle, "Glad to see that you have all your parts." I ignored Alma's suggestive purring that only I could hear as I tried to help Stokes recover some of her dignity by casually replying, "Nothing to worry about l-t." She nodded as she regained her composure. She turned and walked over to the reception desk where she had set up a field command center.

I followed her a few steps behind. When I reached the desk, she informed me, "Evacuation is nearly complete. 2nd Battalion reports that they are at a seventy-five percent withdraw. 1st Battalion is at an eighty percent withdraw. Finally…something went according to plan." I laughed slightly before I teased her, "Adversity is what makes it fun though." Just as she started to say something witty in response, over the emergency channel the voice of Delta Force Operative Sgt. D. Passalaqua urgently inquired, "Does anyone copy?" I replied into my com link, "Sgt. Becket here. I copy you. What is it sergeant?" Passalaqua informed me, "Some kind of creature just compromised Landing Zone Halo by taking down the last evac bird. I fought it off and managed to locate two survivors in the wreckage. One is still combat ready but the other has a broken leg. I am escorting them to the landing zone on the roof but that thing is right behind us. I am running out of ammunition. We need backup now!"

I replied, "What is your location?" I heard the signature thumping of a G2A2 assault rifle firing approximately fifteen rounds and then the sound of yelling. Concerned, I asked, "Sgt. Passalaqua, do you copy?" After a few tense moments of silence, the operative replied, "Sgt. Becket, we are in Sector Gamma. That thing just cut us off from the elevators and the staircase. We are holed up inside the security office. I managed to reactivate the security system for this floor but that is not going to hold it back for much longer." I said, "Copy, maintain position. Backup is on its way." Passalaqua replied, "Roger."

I started to walk out of the reception area and towards the helipad. As I did, I ordered, "Alpha 1, Point Man, let's go kick some ass." As always, Alpha 1 was already walking beside me and replied, "Let's get them sir." Behind me, I sensed Point Man following. I walked over to the edge of the helipad and peered over the side. I walked along the edge until I found a section of the building that had a column of windows along its side. I reached into my equipment pack and withdrew the rappel gear. To my right and left, Alpha 1 and Point Man prepared their own gear. Sector Gamma was five stories down so we had sufficient length of rope to reach it. After I anchored my line, I turned to face the Osprey that was loading Replica soldiers. I silently prayed that the line would hold. Then, I jumped backwards off the building.

My body responded to the sudden drop with its usual uneasy feeling in my abdomen as I rappelled down the side of the building. Even now, I am not a fan of rappelling because one has to entrust his or her life to a piece of fallible gear that has claimed the lives of even the most experienced daredevils. Occasionally braking and then jumping back off the side of the building, I descended the five stories. Beside me, Alpha 1 and Point Man matched my pace. Within a minute, we had reached the window for the right floor. We timed our last brake just right so our boots all impacted the sheet of glass at the same time. The safety glass held together and the combined force of our impact caused the panel to pop out of its housing. As it landed on the tiled floor, we detached from our ropes and landed on top of the glass panel.

The floor looked like a deconstruction team had started taking the place apart but then stopped a quarter of the way into the project. Chunks of wall laid on the floor, overturned furniture strewn the hallways, glass was everywhere on the floor, and security gates were compromised with their centers bent inwards as if something had bull charged straight them. Alpha 1 commented, "This looks promising." I laughed briefly at his comment before I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, we reached Sector Gamma. Whole place is fucked. Attempting to reach Sgt. Passalaqua and his men." She replied, "Copy that. Evacuation is in its final stage. You guys will likely be the last ones out of here." I interrupted when I told her, "Don't wait for us Keira." She interrupted me when she protested, "No, I am not going to leave you. The detonation sequence is set to begin in fifteen minutes." I replied, "I want you out of here in case things get worse. Have an Osprey standing by pick us up." She protested again, "But I…" I had started moving forward with my rifle raised as I interrupted her, "Keira, please. Just get safe." She finally submitted and replied in a forced calm tone, "Okay Becket. You better not get yourself killed." I assured her, "I will see you back in Sparta. Becket out."

With our weapons at the ready, we ran towards the security office to relieve the pinned down soldiers. As we ran, I ordered Alpha 1, "Alpha 1, time watch. Keep me updated every three minutes." He replied, "Roger that sir." As we neared the security office, I heard a strange deep growling that I had never heard before. Alma materialized running next to me. She sounded worried when she informed me, "Michael, I am sensing something strange. This thing is not paranormal in origin but neither is it alive. I honestly don't know what it is." I replied, "I know, I sense it too." My com link activated and a distressed Sgt. Passalaqua asked, "Becket, where the fuck are you?" I reassured him, "We are about to turn the corner, hang in there." I heard what sounded like fists pounding on the reinforced, ballistic plastic panel that allowed the occupants of the security office to look outside the room. Realizing that the assailant was about to compromise the security office, I barked, "Double time." as I started sprinting down the hallway. The two men following me sprinted after me.

I turned the corner and stopped. Seeing the creature pounding on the panel with its fists, I rhetorically asked, "What the fuck?" It was a bipedal, nine-foot tall, muscular humanoid clad in what looked like a black explosive ordinance removal suit. The Armacham logo was stitched into the back of the suit just below the neckline. Since my arrival was unnoticed by the creature, I shouldered my assault rifle and retrieved my sniper rifle. I aimed down the scope and lined up the crosshairs on the creature's head. Before I squeezed the trigger, I quietly remarked, "Say goodnight you bastard." The FMJ round penetrated the humanoid's armored head and exited as it decorated the panel with the same green liquid from the assassin, bits of skull, and brain matter.

Thinking I had killed it, I was stunned when the creature uttered a growl as it turned to look in my direction. I cycled the bolt and fired another round into its head. One again, the bullet penetrated its armored head but again, it remained standing. By that time, Point Man and Alpha 1 had joined me and started firing their weapons at the creature. The rounds penetrated the armor and more green liquid squirted out of the wounds but the humanoid simply started to walk towards us. Alpha 1's automatic shotgun shredded sections of the armor, revealing disgusting looking decayed flesh. Realization hit me; this thing was a walking corpse. I switched back to my assault rifle and started firing into the creature's neck. Beside me, Alpha 1 informed me though his com link, "Three minutes sir." Finally, after using up three entire clips of ammunition, the thing's head and most of its neck fell off its shoulders and landed on the floor. As we watched, the creature paused, stiffly bent down, picked up its severed head with both hands, and then lifted it back up into place. Disgusted beyond description, I watched as what appeared to be coils of flesh extend out of the gaping hole, penetrated into the severed member, and then lowered it back into place with a nauseating squishing noise.

Managing not to vomit, I said, "Shit…I think we need to make a run from this one. Point Man, retrieve the sergeant and his men and get them to the roof. Alpha 1 and I will keep this thing distracted." Silently, the Origin Prototype made his way to the men inside the security office. I yelled at the abomination, "Hey asshole! Over here! Come on, come and get us you ugly motherfucker!" It growled and started walking faster towards me. Alpha 1 and I slowly retreated as we continued to fire our weapons. The ploy worked and the creature completely forgot about Point Man and the men inside the security office. We slowly walked backwards and around the corner with the creature pursuing us in a single-minded manner. Alpha 1 questioned me through his com link, "What is this thing sir?" I replied through my com link, "Don't know. Just keep up the fire. We have to buy enough time for Point Man and the Delta Force Operatives to get to the roof for extraction." He said in response, "Roger that sir. By the way, it has been three minutes again."

We lured it further away from the security office and through the corridors of the floor. According to Alpha 1, we had distracted it for another three minutes before Sgt. Passalaqua informed me through his com link, "Becket, we made it to the roof and are being extracted now.

Thanks for the assist. Now, get your asses out of there." I replied, "Copy that." We needed an opening to get around the creature so we could make a run for the staircase. As the creature passed a soda vending machine, it paused to look at it. It grabbed the heavy machine with both hands, lifted it up, turned towards us, and started to throw it. I yelled, "Oh shit, look out!" However, as the vending machine neared us, it suddenly halted in midair and started to hoover where it was. Alma materialized in front of us in her child form. With a playful tone, she said to the creature, "Catch!" The machine flew back at the abomination at tremendous velocity. As it struck the creature, the sick sound of cracking bones and crumpling metal filled the hallway. The impact forced it off its feet and through the nearby wall.

I started running forward as I yelled, "Thank you sweetie. Alpha 1, this is our opening. Let's get the fuck out of here once and for all." He replied beside me, "I am with you sir!" We ran past the creature as it struggled to get to its feet like an overturned turtle and towards the staircase. As we neared the staircase, Alpha 1 informed me, "Three minutes again sir." We only had three minutes left to get to the roof before the demolition charges would bring down the building and the entire ATC communication network along with it. However, as we ran towards the door, the creature suddenly charged through the wall behind us on the left. I thought we could outrun it, but I underestimated the undead abomination. It grabbed both of us from behind and threw us across the hallway towards the now vacant security office. As we landed, I quickly calculated my best course of action. We were running out of time and we were cut off from the staircase. Our only hope to reach the roof in time was the elevator shaft.

Scrambling to my feet, I helped my armored friend stand before I led him towards the elevators. As we reached them, we ran out of time. The building shuttered and rocked as the first charge detonated. I withdrew my utility knife and stuck the blade through the narrow crease of the elevator doors. With a bit of effort, I managed to pry open the doors. Alpha 1 held the doors open as I sheathed my knife. By either blind luck or Alma, the elevator was one floor below us so we jumped down onto the roof of it. With my rifle still strapped to my back, I bent down and grasped the underside of the metal bar running along the top of the elevator with both hands. As another charge detonated, I lifted up on the bar as hard as I could but the elevator did not move. Alpha 1 asked me, "What are you doing sir?" I replied as I continued to lift up on the bar, "The elevators are offline because of the fire alarm. Help me! We have to activate the elevator's counter-balance to manually override the electric lock." He placed his shotgun on his back and bent down. He grasped the underside of the bar and we lifted together. The bar started to move and I grunted, "Come on you bastard!" As we continued lifting, I grunted out, "Fucking open your legs you bitch!" As I said that, I fell backwards as the elevator lurched and started ascending towards the roof. The building shook as I stood. That was the second to last charge. The next one would bring down the entire building and us with it if we did not reach the helipad in time. Luckily, the elevator ascended faster than it normally would have because the electrical safety system was not activated. The elevator was ascending only because of the descending counterweight on the other end of the cable.

I nearly fell over from the feeling of vertigo as the elevator ascended at intense speed. I spoke into my com link, "This is Sgt. Becket. We are approaching the roof. Whoever is there to pick us up, you better be ready because this place is about to go down." Through the com link, a Replica Osprey pilot replied, "Raptor 8 here sir. We are hovering above the helipad now. We won't budge until you are onboard sir." As we neared the doors that led to the reception area, I ordered Alpha 1, "Jam the pulley." He nodded as he withdrew his utility knife. He forced the blade into the narrow space between the cable and the pulley. The metal alloy blade jammed the pulley but it would not hold for very long.

I forced my knife's blade into the crease of the doors and pried them open. The blade snapped but not before I was able to get my hands between the doors. Grunting, I forced them open. Alpha 1 slipped past me and held the doors open from the other side long enough for me to pass through them. Seeing the Osprey hovering above the helipad with its cargo bay hatch down and pointed towards us, I started running towards it with Alpha 1 right beside me. In the cargo bay, I saw Point Man standing just inside the bay and Sgt. Passalaqua and Stokes sitting down. They looked at us as we ran towards them and motioned encouragingly. Just as we neared the hybrid machine, the last charge detonated. As the roof beneath our feet started to give way, I yelled, "Jump for it!" We both jumped and barely managed to land on the edge of the cargo hatch as the building collapsed below us.

I grunted in pain as the force of the landing temporarily made it hard to breathe. I started to slip off the ramp and clawed desperately to find something to grip. Just as I was about to fall, Point Man rushed forward and grabbed my outstretched left hand. Silently, he pulled me onto the hatch and helped me to my feet. I helped Alpha 1 pull himself up onto the ramp. Then we all moved into the cargo bay. Stokes closed the hatch before she quickly hugged me out of relief. As she sat back down, the Osprey started to fly towards Sparta. Before I sat down, I looked at Point Man and asked, "Did you just save me without an order?" The mute soldier looked at me for a moment before he shrugged. I smiled before I said, "Thanks." He nodded before he sat down. Sitting down myself, I looked around the bay to find Alpha 1 sitting next to me on my left and Alma sitting next to me on my right.

Hours later, we were all safely back in Sparta. I returned to my office after checking in on Bravo 2. The sniper was expected to make a full recovery save for the use of his left index finger, which had been broken in too many places for a full faculty recovery. I sat down at my desk and started filling out the transfer request form to have Bravo 2 transferred to my squad. However, before I could complete it, Alma materialized on top of my desk in her nude seductive form. Not looking away from the form I was filling out, I groaned before I said, "Not now Alma, I am busy." She edged closer so her legs dangled over the edge of my desk and also so I was given a clearer view of her womanhood. I looked up from the form to see her smiling mischievously at me. I shook my head as I said, "Alma, I have a lot of paperwork to do." The amusement never left her eyes as she remarked, "Do it later. This is happening. We can do this the easy way or the hard way." She spread her legs and leaned back as she supported her weight by placing her hands on the opposite corners of the desk. She teased, "Come on, you can't tell me that you don't want it. Should I go get your blonde friend? I am sure I could get her to pleasure me since you are being stubborn. You could watch if you wanted."

Setting the form and writing utensil aside, I replied, "I hate you." She purred, "That's better." She leaned in and removed my HUD glasses with her right hand. As she tossed them aside, she continued, "Now, be a good boy. If you do a good job, I might get you off." I grabbed her toned buttocks with my gloved hands. Pulling her in closer, I descended upon her womanhood. For several minutes, I orally pleasured her as she moaned quietly. Finally, as I moved over a certain spot, she cried out as she grabbed the back of my head and forced me in closer, "Right there! Don't stop Michael…please don't stop…" I intensified my efforts and within a minute, she had curled her entire body up so she could hold me as close as possible. She moaned, "So close…Michael…please…don't stop." I reached up with my left hand and stimulated her other sensitive spot as I continued teasing the spot I had found. She screamed in pleasure as her muscles contracted. All the other pieces of furniture in the room except for the desk moved away from us as if from a shockwave.

She held me close as her body twitched and convulsed sporadically from the afterglow of my efforts. Finally, as I started to get tunnel vision, she released her grip and I was able to breathe. She gazed at me with a strange, adoring expression while she recovered. Finally, she asked in a playful tone, "Do I taste good?" I smirked before I replied, "You tell me." I pulled her into my lap and kissed her deeply. She squealed in amusement as we continued kissing. When she retracted, she said in mock scolding tone, "Dirty boy." I retorted in a mock childish tone, "But you started it." She raised her right eyebrow as she replied, "I am going to finish it too." Before I could prepare myself, she had unbuckled my belt, unbuttoned my pants, and exposed my thoroughly erect member. As she lowered herself onto me, she said, "My turn." After she had guided my entire length inside of her, I scolded her, "Don't break my chair." She huffed before she remarked, "Oh don't be a baby Michael. I won't hurt your precious chair." She started to pleasure herself with my manhood and as the minutes passed, I started wishing more and more that I had been able to feel her in the amplifier instead of fighting Keegan. I was already exhausted from the day's events but Alma nursed me in a motherly manner and I was able to last for nearly an hour before I climaxed inside of her. She cried out in delight as I held her close and kissed her while her muscles tightened around me to coax out every drop.

When my muscles finally uncoiled, I retracted from her lips and laid my head against her left shoulder. She held me there gently as she rocked me like a mother trying to put her baby to sleep. Fighting off the urge to sleep, I said, "Alma…" She shushed me and continued to rock me in her arms. Unable to resist the afterglow, my exhaustion, and her rocking, I feel asleep in her arms. I awoke to find that my surroundings had changed. I was standing in the middle of my old bedroom. Annoyed, I said aloud, "O what now?" As if on cue, a child's voice answered me, "Wow, I turned into a prick."

I looked over into the corner that the voice was coming from and was shocked by what I saw. A frail, brown-haired boy dressed in cheap blue jeans and a white t-shirt observed me with grey eyes filled with sorrow and intelligence. His face was covered with bruises and he had a black eye. I looked at my younger self with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. He walked up to me and stopped when he was only a foot away from me. I asked, "What the hell are you?" He laughed darkly before he replied, "You tell me. I am your apparition dumbass." I sighed as I shook my head. After several moments of wallowing in self-pity, I asked, "Okay…fine. Since I manifested you, then clearly I need you for something…" The child version of me crossed his arms as if he was waiting for me to come to some revelation.

I glanced around the small dreary room. I just wanted to be free from the torment of these memories. They were like a disease rotting me from the inside out. A thought came to me, and the child remarked, "There it is…about time too. Geez, did I lose my IQ when they erased my memories? Damn…" I snorted as I scowled at the little brat before I asked, "You know how I can prevent the fate of the other universe from being repeated in ours. I don't understand. What enemy have I not killed or weakened? I mean, Fettel is gone, Armacham is slowly being destroyed, Harlan's memory is gone, and I have taken control of the entire city for her. Why would it still happen?" He explained, "Our goddess is not the only one that can create monsters. You have to face your…our past or he will corrupt her like Harlan did with Alma."

My eyes widened as I deciphered whom he was referring to and what that individual would do to my daughter. My frightened expression quickly turned into one of absolute hatred as I remarked, "No! I will not let that fucker touch her. He ruined my childhood and I will be damned before I let some apparition of him ruin her." As my anger spiraled out of control, I demanded, "Where?" My younger self replied, "You know where. It is time to go home and burn it to the ground." I nodded now that I understood what I had to do.

My younger self suddenly cocked his head to the left for a brief moment before he remarked, "You know, it is not her fault." Confused, I questioned, "What are you talking about?" He replied, "What she is." I said sadly, "I know." He asked, "So why do you blame her for the things she did to your team? Was she supposed to have suddenly not been who she is or something?" I replied, "I don't blame her." He gave me an exasperated look before he said, "Yes you do. Come on man, it was a bad op and we got used. Let it go." I replied, "I can't forgive her." He shook his head before he explained, "I did not say forgive. No…you would be a fool to forgive. What I said was let it go. Dwelling on it will not change what happened. You have never wondered about how she felt…have you? While you were busy fighting Keegan, she was going through our mind. I bet she panicked when she realized who we were. The only person she could call a friend and she had raped him. I would imagine that she cracked and regressed back to her child state. Actually, now that I think about it, I believe that is what happened. The point is that there is more than one side to a story. Mull on that." Before I could respond, my surroundings turned into darkness.

I awoke in the cot that I slept in inside the tower. I whispered at the peacefully daydreaming woman in my arms, "Alma, I need to go home." For a moment, she had a hurt expression but then she read my mind. Her voice was full of alarm when she asked, "Your father?" I replied through our bond, "It appears so." She thought for a moment before she said, "Do you want me to go with you?" I smiled slightly before I replied, "Only if you don't mind." She shook her head in response. I nodded as I gently pushed her away so I could stand.


End file.
